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The Jewel Series 


THE DIAMOND STORY BOOK. Com- 
piled by Penbhyn W. Coussens. Il- 
lustrations in color by Ethel Green. 

THE EMERALD STORY BOOK. Stories 
of Spring, Nature, and Easter. By 
Ada and Eleanor Skinner. Frontis- 
piece in color by Maxfield Parrish. 

THE RUBY STORY BOOK. Tales of 
Courage and Heroism. Retold by Pen- 
rhyn W. Coussens. Frontispiece in 
color by Maxfield Parrish. 

THE SAPPHIRE STORY BOOK. Tales 
of the Sea. Collected and retold by 
Penrhyn W. Coussens. Frontis- 
piece in color by Maxfield Parrish. 

THE TOPAZ STORY BOOK. Stories and 
Legends of Autumn, Hallow ’en, and 
Thanksgiving. Compiled by Ada M. 
and Eleanor L. Skinner. Frontis- 
piece in color by Maxfield Parrish. 

THE TURQUOISE STORY BOOK. 
Stories and Legends of Summer and 
Nature. By Ada M. and Eleanor L. 
Skinner. Frontispiece in color by 
Maxfield Parrish. 

THE PEARL STORY BOOK. Stories and 
Legends of Winter, Christmas and New 
Year's Hay. Compiled by Ada M. and 
Eleanor L. Skinner. Frontispiece 
in color by Maxfield Parrish. 

THE GARNET STORY BOOK. Tales 
of Cheer both Old and New. Compiled 
by Ada M. and Eleanor L. Skin- 
ner. Frontispiece in color by Du- 
gald S. Walker. 

THE JADE STORY BOOK. Stories from 
the Orient. Compiled by Penrhyn 
W. Coussens. Frontispiece in color 
by Dugald Stewart Walker. 




























*■ 














































Drawn by Dugald Stewart Walker 


THE 

JADE STORY BOOK 


Stories from the Orient 


BY 

PENRHYN W;' 


:oussens 


Author of “The Diamond Story Book,’* “The Ruby Story Book,” “The 
Sapphire Story Book.” Editor of “One Thousand Books for Children 
“A Child's Book of Stories “Poems Children Love,’’ etc. 


FRONTISPIECE BY 

DUGALD STEWART WALKER 



NEW YORK 

DUFFIELD AND COMPANY 

1922 






Copyright, 19a*, by 
DUFFIELD & COMPANY 





Printed in the United States of America 

§>C!.A659842 


APR 27 1922 



TO MY 

DEAREST PAL 

MY WIFE 


4 



CONTENTS 

Arranged Alphabetically 

PAGE 

Preface ix 

Adventures of Juan, The Tagalog 298 

Crane and the Crab, The India 111 

Dyed Jackal, The India 244 

Empress Janqwi and the Magicians . . China 260 

Faithful Rajpoot, The India 16 

Feast of the Lanterns, The China 303 

Four Friends, The Persia 292 

Fox and the Crafty Crab, The China 67 

He Wished to Live Forever Japan 102 

How the Birds Saved the Emperor’s 

Life China 3 

In Union is Strength China 323 

Ingratitude India 70 

Jackal, Deer and the Crow, The India 89 

Lion and the Hare, The India 116 

Lumawig on Earth Igorot 316 

vii 


viii CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Mr. Sin, the Carp China 206 

Mysterious Garden, The India 357 

Paper Bag, The Japan 77 

Pestle and Mortar of Jade, The China 338 

Pigeon-King and Mouse-King India 98 

Prince Ahmed Persia 141 

Prince Varna Persia 250 

Prince Zeyn Alasnam and the Sultan of 
the Genii Persia 218 

Princess Moonlight Japan 52 

Punchkin India 30 

Rasalu, the Fakir and the Giants India 365 

Rajah Rasalu India 271 

Rosamond, the Swift of Foot Oriental 84 

Story of Bantugan, The Moro 326 

Story of Caliph Stork, The Oriental 119 

Tale of Two Merchants, The Persia 23 

Why Dogs Wag Their Tails Visayan 247 

Widow’s Son, The Mindanao 198 


viii 


PREFACE 


“The Jade Story Book” contains tales gath- 
ered from the folklore of Far Eastern coun- 
tries — India, China, Japan, the Philippine 
Islands and Persia. Most of those from 
India are adapted from “The Hitopadesa,” 
which is also known as “The Book of Good 
Counsels,” and “The Criterion of Wisdom.” 
It may also be called “The Father of All 
Fables.” 

These Fables were originally compiled in 
Sanscrit, and later, many centuries later, 
(about the year 600 A. D.), they were ren- 
dered into Persic. About two hundred and 
fifty years afterwards they were translated 
into the Arabic, Hebrew and Greek lan- 
guages. They are perhaps best known in 
India today under the title of “Anvari Su- 
haili.” The translation from which these 
particular stories are adapted is that from 
the original Sanscrit made by Sir Edwin 
Arnold. 


X 


PREFACE 


The Igorot, Tagalog, Visayan, Mindanao 
and Moro stories are used by kind permis- 
sion of A. C. McClurg & Co., publishers of 
“Philippine Folk Tales,” edited by Mabel 
Cook Cole. 

Several of the Persian stories are taken 
from “The Arabian Nights” and others, from 
Persia, India, China and Japan, are adapted 
from various sources, not least of which is 
“Gesta Romanorum.” One of them, “The 
Story of Caliph Stork,” is from the collection 
by Wilhelm Hauff. 

The author has on other occasions seized 
the opportunity to emphasize the fact that 
fairy tales and fables are really necessary to 
the child, who, without them, is being de- 
frauded of that which belongs to him. They 
stimulate the youthful imagination and pro- 
vide a good foundation for the further de- 
velopment of the mind. 

Most fairy stories not only amuse, but 
their unfolding shows the child that good 
invariably triumphs over evil, and the moral 
is that one who is kind, polite, generous, un- 
selfish and brave wins in the end. Surely 
this is worth while. 


THE JADE STORY BOOK 
































































r 


HOW THE BIRDS SAVED THE 
EMPERORS LIFE 


There was once an Emperor of China whose 
palace was the most wonderful in the world, 
being built entirely of priceless porcelain. 
In the garden were the most beautiful flow- 
ers, on some of which were little golden bells 
which tinkled in the wind so that you could 
not help looking at them. 

It was a really wonderful garden, and so 
large that even the Head Gardener himself 
did not know where it ended. If you should 
reach the end of the garden you would come 
to a magnificent forest in which were great 
trees and deep lakes. The banks sloped down 
to the water, which was as clear as crystal. 
Overhanging the lake were the boughs of 
some of the trees, which were so large that 
ships could sail beneath them. In one of 
these trees there lived a Nightingale which 
sang so beautifully that a poor fisherman, 
who had a great deal to do, even stopped his 
work to listen to the bird singing. “How 

3 


4 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

beautiful it is I” he said, but he had to attend 
to his duties and then forgot about the bird. 
But each night it was the same; the fisher- 
man could not resist the temptation and he 
left his work to listen to the bird. 

The Emperor’s palace and garden were so 
magnificent that many travelers from foreign 
countries wrote books describing their 
beauty; but every scholar who wrote said 
that the finest thing of all was the singing of 
this Nightingale. 

These books were read by many people all 
over the world, and at last some of them 
reached the Emperor, who sat in his chair 
of solid jade and read and read and read. 
He was very much pleased that so many 
people who were scholars should write so 
much about his palace and garden, but he 
was surprised to find that in each book the 
Nightingale was spoken of as the finest and 
most wonderful thing of all. 

“It is very strange,” said the Emperor, 
“I’ve never heard this Nightingale and it 
does seem unusual that I should know about 
it for the first time from reading books 
written by travellers.” 


THE EMPEROR’S LIFE 5 

He called his First Lord to him and said, 
“In all of these books there is mention of 
a very remarkable bird which is called The 
Nightingale.’ The writers all say that it 
is the most glorious thing in my kingdom. 
How is it that no one has ever told me about 
it?” 

“Why, I don’t know anything about it my- 
self,” said the First Lord, “but I will go and 
find it.” 

The First Lord didn’t know where it was, 
so he ran all over the palace and asked every- 
body there, but none of them had ever heard 
of the Nightingale. Then he returned to 
the Emperor and said it must be an inven- 
tion of those who had written the books. 

“Your Royal Highness must know that not 
all that is written is true, and that much of 
it is invented,” said he. 

“But the last book I read,” said the Em- 
peror, “was sent to me by the great ruler of 
Japan, so that it must be true, and I insist 
upon your bringing the Nightingale here 
this evening; if you do not, every one in 
this palace shall be trampled under foot.” 

“All right, your Majesty,” said the First 


6 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

Lord; and he ran up and down the stairs, 
through halls and corridors, and as he told 
the people what would happen to them if 
the Nightingale were not brought there that 
evening they all followed him, because they 
had no wish to be trampled under foot, and 
all were most curious to know about this 
wonderful Nightingale which it seemed that 
everybody in the world knew about except 
those who lived in the palace. 

At last they met a poor little girl in the 
kitchen who said, “Why, I know the Night- 
ingale, and I have often heard her sing. 
Every night when I go home to my Mother 
I am so tired that I sit and rest for a little 
while in the wood, and then I hear the 
Nightingale sing, and it is so wonderful that 
it always brings tears to my eyes.” 

“Then,” said the First Lord, “little 
kitchen maid, if you can lead us to this 
Nightingale you shall have leave to see the 
Emperor at dinner this evening, for she is 
invited by His Majesty to come and sing to 
him.” Then they all went into the garden 
where the Nightingale lived, and on the way 
they heard the mooing of a cow. 


THE EMPEROR’S LIFE 7 

“Oh, this must be the Nightingale! How 
wonderful that such a little bird has such a 
tremendous voice!” said they. 

“That is not a bird singing, that is a cow 
mooing,” said the little kitchen maid. “We 
have a long way to go yet.” 

A little farther on they heard some frogs 
croaking in the marsh. The Chinese Chap- 
lain was with them and he said, “How 
sublime! That is just like the ringing of a 
church bell.” 

“Why,” said the little kitchen maid, “those 
are frogs croaking, but very soon we shall 
hear her.” 

Just then the Nightingale began to sing. 

“Hark!” cried the little girl. “Listen!” 
and pointing to a little bird sitting up in 
the branches, said, “There she is.” 

“It doesn’t seem possible that so very com- 
mon looking a bird as that can sing,” said 
the First Lord. “It must be that she has lost 
her brilliant plumage because there are so 
many distinguished people here.” 

Then the little kitchen maid called out, 
“Little Nightingale, our gracious Emperor 
invites you to sing before him this evening!” 


8 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

“It will give me great pleasure to do so,” 
said the Nightingale; and then she began to 
sing so gloriously that they were all en- 
tranced. The First Lord said, “I have never 
heard anything so beautiful before. His 
Majesty will be delighted.” 

The Nightingale, thinking the First Lord 
was the Emperor, said, “Shall I sing again 
for your Majesty?” 

“My dear little bird,” said the First Lord, 
His Most Gracious Highness has sent me to 
invite you to his palace this evening so that 
he may listen to your charming song.” 

“It’s much better out here in the forest,” 
replied the Nightingale, but when she heard 
that the Emperor wished her to go to the 
palace, she gladly offered to go with them. 

At the palace everything was splendidly 
prepared. The many lights made the porce- 
lain walls and floors glitter, and the gor- 
geous tinkling flowers helped to make the 
place look very beautiful. The people mov- 
ing back and forth caused the little golden 
bells to tinkle all the time. In the center of 
the great hall, in which was the Emperor’s 
throne, was a golden perch, put there for 


THE EMPEROR’S LIFE 


9 

the Nightingale. The whole court was pres- 
ent, and the little kitchen maid, who had 
shown the First Lord where the bird could 
be found, was allowed to stand behind the 
door where she could see and hear every- 
thing. All were dressed in their best clothes 
and everyone looked toward the little bird, 
whom the Emperor requested to commence 
singing. 

And how the Nightingale did sing! Very 
soon the tears came into the Emperor’s eyes 
and ran down his cheeks. At this the Night- 
ingale sang even more beautifully, and the 
heart of everyone was touched. The Em- 
peror was so delighted that he said she 
should wear the golden necklace around her 
neck, but the Nightingale said that she had 
already received a sufficient reward, for she 
had brought tears to the eyes of the Emperor. 

Even the servants, who were always most 
difficult to please, said that they were greatly 
touched. This in itself proved how success-' 
ful was the Nightingale’s concert. 

The Emperor requested her to stay at 
the court, and he gave her a large golden 
cage and allowed her to go out twice every 


10 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

day. He provided her with twelve servants, 
each of whom held a silken string which was 
fastened to her leg, and you may be sure 
that she found but little pleasure flying about, 
hampered in this way. 

Very soon everyone in the city was talking 
about the wonderful bird, and even the 
tradesmen’s children were all named after 
her, although none of them could sing a note. 

Some time after this the Emperor received 
a large parcel on which was written “The 
Nightingale.” 

“This must be another book about our 
famous bird,” said the Emperor. 

But he was mistaken, for it was a mechan- 
ical toy, an artificial Nightingale which 
looked something like a real bird but was 
covered with jewels. When it was wound 
up it could sing the piece the real bird 
sang, and moved its tail up and down. 
Around its neck was a collar on which was 
written: “The Nightingale of the Emperor 
of Japan cannot be compared with that of 
the Emperor of China.” 

“How wonderful!” said everyone, and the 
man who had brought the clock-work bird 


THE EMPEROR’S LIFE u 

was given the title of “Bringer of the Im- 
perial First Nightingale.” 

They sang together, but it did not sound 
well, for the real Nightingale sang her own 
song, and the clock-work bird sang waltzes. 

“It isn’t its fault!” said the bandmaster. 
“It keeps very good time and is quite after 
my style.” 

Then the artificial bird had to sing alone. 
It was very pleasant to listen to, and it was 
also pretty to look at, as the jewels with 
which it was covered sparkled so. It sang 
the same piece many times without becoming 
tired, and then the Emperor thought that 
the real Nightingale should sing again. But 
she was not to be found; the window was 
open and without anybody seeing her go, she 
had flown away to her beloved forest. 

The Emperor was very angry when it was 
discovered that the real bird had gone away, 
and everyone agreed that it was a very un- 
gracious thing for her to have done. But 
they all said that the bird sent by the Japan- 
ese ruler was the better of the two, and espec- 
ially did the bandmaster praise it. He said 
that one knew just what to expect from the 


12 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

artificial bird, but the real one would sing 
the most unusual tunes. The bird they had 
now could be opened, and the inside shown 
and explained, but if this were done to the 
other it would die. 

Everyone agreed that what the bandmaster 
said was correct, and the Emperor com- 
manded that all the people of the city should 
be allowed to listen to the bird’s beautiful 
music on a certain day of the following 
week. 

So on the day appointed the bandmaster 
showed the jeweled bird to the people, and 
after they had heard it sing everyone said 
that its music was wonderful, that is all 
but the poor fisherman who had heard the 
real one, and he said: “This one looks very 
pretty and is quite pleasant to listen to, but 
its singing does not compare with that of 
the other.” 

The Emperor banished the real bird from 
the kingdom, and the artificial one was put 
on a golden perch by the side of his bed, 
and was given the title of Imperial Night- 
singer. 

Several months passed away when one 


THE EMPEROR’S LIFE 


13 

evening, as the Emperor lay in bed listening 
to it, something inside snapped, and the 
music stopped. The Royal Physician was 
summoned, but could do nothing. Then the 
Royal Clockmaker was called, and after ex- 
amining it very carefully he took out the 
works, which he found to be almost worn 
out. It took him quite a long time to put 
these back again, but at last he got it into 
something like order, although he said it 
must not be used more than once a year, and 
then only for a very short time. 

Some time after this the Emperor became 
very ill, and as the physicians said that he 
could not live for more than a few days, his 
successor was chosen. 

The poor Emperor lay all alone in his 
great bed, and as everyone believed him to 
be dead the courtiers left him to pay their 
respects to the new ruler. But he was only in 
a trance, and when he came out of this he 
felt very lonely indeed, for there was no 
one to speak to him. He turned his head 
and saw the artificial bird by his bedside. 
A great longing for music came over him, 


i 4 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

and he cried: “Sing, golden bird! Please 
sing!” 

But there was no one to wind it up, and 
he was too weak to do this himself. It was 
so quiet, and he felt so terribly lonely and 
sad that he was sure he was going to die. 

Suddenly there came through the open 
window the sound of such beautiful music 
that new life came to the sick man. He 
raised his head, and saw, sitting upon the 
bough of a large tree, the real bird whom 
he had banished from his kingdom. 

“What divine singing!” said the Emperor. 
“You have given me new life in return for 
my unkindness in banishing you from my 
kingdom. What can I do to reward you?” 

“I need no more reward than the sight 
of the tears which came to your eyes when I 
first sang to you,” said the Nightingale. 
‘That is something which I can never for- 
get. But now you must sleep, and to-mor- 
row, when you will feel much stronger, I 
can promise you such music as you would 
not believe possible.” The Emperor smiled 
happily, and fell at once into a deep, calm 
sleep. 


THE EMPEROR’S LIFE 15 

He was awakened in the morning by the 
sun, which was shining brightly. So much 
better did he feel that he was able to get 
out of bed and walk to the open window, 
and there his eyes beheld a wonderful sight. 

Upon every bough of the tree in front of 
him were perched many birds, and in the 
center of them sat the poor fisherman, who 
held to his lips a reed instrument. On see- 
ing the Emperor at the window he gave a 
sign, and there came forth from the throats 
of the assembled birds such a glorious burst 
of melody that tears of thankfulness flowed 
from the Emperor’s eyes; he could scarcely 
believe that such wonderful music was 
possible. 

No longer was he a sick man. The bird 
chorus had brought back to him the health 
and strength which all the doctors, with their 
medicines, had not been able to do. In his 
gratitude to the birds he gave them the tree 
for their very own, and the poor fisherman 
he appointed bandmaster-in-chief. 


THE FAITHFUL RAJPOOT 


ONE morning a soldier presented himself 
at King Sudraka’s palace gate, and asked 
the porter to secure an audience for him. 

Having gained admittance to the King’s 
presence, he bowed and said: 

“Your Highness, I am Vira-vara, a Raj- 
poot, who seeks employment.” 

“What pay do you ask?” inquired the 
King. 

“Fifty pieces of gold a day,” replied the 
soldier. 

“And what will you do in return for so 
much money?” said the King. 

“I have two strong arms, and this sabre, 
which shall be devoted to your Majesty’s 
service,” answered the Rajpoot. 

“You ask too much,” said the King, “and 
I am afraid I cannot retain you, but I will 
confer with my Ministers about you.” 

Then the King spoke to his Ministers, who 
agreed that the stipend asked was very large, 
16 


THE FAITHFUL RAJPOOT 17 

but advised that he be given four days’ pay, 
and to see what the soldier should do to 
earn it. So this was done. 

The King watched very closely to see how 
Vira-vara spent his pay, and found that half 
of it went towards the support of the Temple, 
a fourth was devoted to relieving the poor, 
and the remaining fourth only did he re- 
serve for his own sustenance. This division 
he made at the beginning of each day, and 
then he would stand on guard with his sabre 
at the palace gate, from whence he would 
retire only upon receiving the royal per- 
mission. 

One very, very dark night King Sudraka 
thought he heard the sound of someone out- 
side the palace gate sobbing as though 
stricken with deepest grief. He called for 
his guard, and Vira-vara at once appeared. 

“Did you hear a sound of weeping?” asked 
the King. 

“I thought I did, your Majesty,” replied 
the Rajpoot. 

“Then go and find out the cause,” said 
the King. 

The soldier at once departed on his mis- 


18 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

sion, but as soon as he had gone the King 
repented him of sending him out alone into a 
night so dark that a hole might be pierced 
in it with a needle, so he took his scimitar, 
and followed his guard beyond the city gates. 

Vira-vara had not gone far when he al- 
most stumbled over a woman who was 
weeping bitterly. By the dim light of a 
torch, which he had hurriedly picked up 
after leaving the King’s presence, he could 
see that she was a very beautiful and splen- 
didly dressed lady. 

“Why do you thus lament?” asked he. 

“I am the Fortune of the King Sudraka,” 
answered she. “For a long while I lived 
happily in the shadow of his arm, but on 
the third day he will die, and therefore do 
I shed these bitter tears.” 

“Can anything be done, dear lady, that 
will prolong your stay here?” asked the 
Rajpoot. 

“Only one thing,” replied the Spirit, “but 
that I do not like to tell you.” 

“Tell me what it is, and I swear to do it, 
out of loyalty to my kind Master,” said the 
faithful guard. 


THE FAITHFUL RAJPOOT 19 

“Then,” said the Spirit Lady, “if you will 
cut off the head of your firstborn son, who 
has on his body the marks of greatness, and 
offer his head as a sacrifice to the all-helpful 
Goddess Durga, then shall I continue to 
be the guardian angel of the Rajah, even 
though he should live another hundred 
years.” 

Having said this, she disappeared, and 
Vira-vara went to his own house and awoke 
his wife and son. 

These two listened attentively while he 
repeated to them the words of the vision and 
then the son said: “I feel honored in that 
I may be the means of saving the King’s life ; 
kill me quickly, for it is well that I can give 
my life to such a good cause.” 

To this the Mother agreed, saying, “It is 
well, and worthy of our blood; how else 
should we deserve the King’s pay?” 

Then they went to the temple of the God- 
dess Durga, and having paid their devotions 
and asked the favor of the deity on behalf 
of the King, Vira-vara struck off the head 
of his son, and laid it as an offering upon the 
shrine. 


20 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

But the task had been too great for the 
Rajpoot. “Life without my boy is some- 
thing I cannot bear to think of,” said he; 
“my service to the King is now ended.” 
Thereupon he plunged his sword into his 
own breast, and fell dead. 

The sight of her husband and son, both 
lying dead at her feet, was too much for 
the grief-stricken mother, so she seized the 
blood-stained weapon, and with it slew her- 
self. 

Now all this was seen and heard by King 
Sudraka, who was just entering the gate of 
the temple, but so quickly did it happen, 
that he was unable to stop it. He hastened 
to where the bodies lay, and exclaimed: 
“Woe is me!” 

Kings may come, and kings may go; 

What was I to bring these low? 

Souls so noble, slain for me, 

Were not, and will never be! 

Sorrowful indeed was he as he gazed upon 
the remains of his three faithful subjects. 
“Having lost these,” he said, “what do I 


THE FAITHFUL RAJPOOT 21 

care for myself or my kingdom,” Then he 
drew his scimitar, intending to take his own 
life. 

But at that moment there appeared to him 
the Goddess, who is mistress of all men’s 
fortunes. She stayed his uplifted hand, and 
said: 

“Son, forbear, do not this rash deed; think 
of your kingdom.” 

The Rajah prostrated himself before her, 
and cried: “O Goddess! I am finished with 
life and wealth and country! Have pity on 
me, and let my death restore these faithful 
ones to life; I must follow in their path.” 

“Your affection finds favor in my sight, 
and is pleasing to me, Son,” said the God- 
dess. “As a reward the Rajpoot, his wife 
and son shall be restored to life, and many 
years shall they live in your service.” 

With this assurance the King returned to 
his palace, and very soon he saw Vira-vara 
return and take up his station at the palace 
gate. 

The Rajah sent for him and asked if he 
had discovered the cause of the weeping. 

Now: 


22 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

He is brave whose tongue is silent on the 
trophies of his sword; 

He is great whose quiet bearing marks his 
greatness well assured. 

So the Rajpoot merely said: “It was a 
woman weeping, your Highness, and she dis- 
appeared on my approach.” 

The next day the King summoned his 
ministers and told them all that had hap- 
pened, and he made the faithful guard his 
Grand Vizir. 


THE TALE OF TWO MERCHANTS 
OF EGYPT AND BAGDAD. 


Once upon a time there were two wealthy 
merchants, one of whom lived in Egypt and 
the other in Bagdad. Although they had 
never yet seen one another they had trans- 
acted much business together by means of 
messengers, who passed frequently between 
them. Both were men of honor and good 
repute, and each came to think of the other 
as a real friend. If anything unusual should 
happen in the land of Egypt, the merchant 
of that country would send word of it to 
the other in Bagdad, who, in like manner, 
would in turn send news of -events in his 
own land. So, without either of them hav- 
ing seen the other, much kindness was shown 
on both sides. 

One night, as the merchant of Bagdad 
lay upon his bed, he said to himself: “My 
correspondent in Egypt has shown much 
friendship toward me, and as I have never 

23 


24 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

seen him I will pay him a visit.” So he 
hired a ship and went to Egypt, where his 
friend met him, and received him with great 
pleasure. 

At the house of the Egyptian the mer- 
chant of Bagdad met a girl of wondrous 
beauty, and so smitten was he with her 
charms that he fell sick and pined away. 

“My friend,” said the other, “What is the 
matter with you that you neither eat nor 
drink?” 

“There is a woman of your household 
upon whom my heart has fixed itself,” re- 
turned his comrade, “and unless I may marry 
her, I shall die.” Thereupon the Egyptian 
summoned all the household before him, save 
only the girl in question, but the man from 
Bagdad said: “I care little for any of these; 
she whom I love is not among them.” Then 
this girl was brought before him, and he 
said that to her alone must he owe his life. 

“My friend,” said the other, “I brought 
up this girl with the intention of making 
her my wife, and through her I shall obtain 
much wealth. But, so great is my friend- 
ship for you that I give her to you with all 


THE TWO MERCHANTS 25 

the riches which would have fallen to my 
share.” 

So the sick merchant, overjoyed at his 
good fortune, received both the lady and 
her wealth, and returned with her to Bagdad. 

After a while ill-fortune came to the mer- 
chant of Egypt, and he was without home 
or money. Then said he: “I will go to 
my friend of Bagdad, from whom I am sure 
to receive aid.” 

So he went to Bagdad, and as he reached 
that city during the night, he did not like 
to awaken his friend, thinking that, poorly 
dressed, desolate and destitute as he was, he 
might not know him, so he decided to wait 
until the next day. Happening to look 
toward a burial-ground, he saw that the 
doors of the mosque there were open, so here 
he determined to remain for the night. 

He had not been in the mosque long be- 
fore two men entered. They were quarrel- 
ling, and soon began to fight, and in the end 
one killed the other, and fled. 

The alarm was spread, and went through 
the whole city. “Where is the murderer?” 
was the general cry. 


26 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

The thought came to the Egyptian that 
to die would bring an end to his troubles, 
and so he said to the searchers: “I am he.” 
Then they laid hands on him, and led him 
away to prison. In the morning he was taken 
before the judge, who sentenced him to 
death. 

Now among those who went to witness 
the execution was the merchant whom he had 
befriended, and who knew him at once. He 
was horrified at the sad plight of his friend. 

“What!” cried he, “Shall he be done to 
death while I live?” Then he raised his 
voice and shouted: “Hold! Do not destroy 
an innocent man. I am the murderer, and 
not he.” 

He was at once arrested, and both were 
taken to the place of execution. The sen- 
tence was about to be carried out when there 
came another interruption, this time from 
the real murderer, who happened to be 
present. 

Seeing these two men about to die for a 
crime which he had committed, he was filled 
with remorse. He said to himself: “I will 
not permit innocent blood to be shed; if I do, 


THE TWO MERCHANTS 27 

the vengeance of God will sooner or later 
overtake me, and it is better to suffer a short 
pain in this world than to be in everlasting 
torment in the next.” 

So he cried out, “Slay not the guiltless, 
for neither of these men has done murder. 
I only am the criminal; let them go.” 

The people were filled with amazement, 
and the three men were at once taken to the 
judge, who was much astonished at this un- 
usual occurrence. The matter was explained 
to him, and then, addressing the Egyptian, 
he said: 

“Friend, why did you confess yourself the 
murderer?” 

“My lord,” answered he, “I will tell you 
the reason. In my own land I was, until 
recently, a man of wealth, and had all that 
riches could buy, but through no fault of 
mine I lost all this, and am now destitute. 
I was ashamed at my condition, and saw, 
in this confession, an end to my misfortunes. 
I am willing to die, and beseech you to order 
my death.” 

The judge then turned to the merchant of 
Bagdad and said: “And you, my friend; 


28 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

why did you acknowledge yourself to be the 
murderer?” 

The merchant replied: “My lord, this 
man is my benefactor. I have enjoyed his 
hospitality, and while at his home he be- 
stowed upon me a wife, whom he had edu- 
cated for his own, and who possessed great 
wealth. When, therefore, I saw my friend 
being led to his death, I proclaimed myself 
the murderer, hoping thus to take his place. 
For his love I would willingly perish.” 

It was now the turn of the third man, who 
was the real criminal. The judge asked him 
what he had to say for himself, and he 
answered: 

“When I confessed, I told the truth. The 
burden which would have been mine had 
I allowed these two innocent men to suffer 
death for a crime that was my own would 
have been too heavy for me to bear, and I 
preferred to pay the penalty.” 

For some time the judge considered the 
stories of the three men, then he said to the 
last one to speak: 

“As you have declared the truth and there- 
by saved the lives of two innocent men, I 


THE TWO MERCHANTS 29 

pardon you. Study to amend your future 
life, and go in peace.” 

The decision of the judge was praised by 
all the people, who were quick to acknowl- 
edge the generosity of the merchant who 
would have given his life to save his friend, 
and the honorable manner in which the 
guilty person had rescued from death the 
two who were innocent 


PUNCHKIN 


ONCE upon a time there was a Rajah who 
had seven daughters. They were all good, 
beautiful and clever girls, but especially so 
was the youngest, whose name was Balna. 
The Rajah’s wife died when they were very 
little children, so these seven Princesses grew 
up without having a loving mother to watch 
over and care for them. 

As soon as they were old enough, the 
Rajah’s daughters took turns every day to 
cook their father’s dinner, while he was 
busily engaged with his ministers in directing 
the affairs of his country. 

About this time the Prime Minister died, 
leaving a widow and one daughter, and 
every day, when the Princesses were getting 
the Rajah’s dinner ready, the widow and her 
daughter would come and beg for some fire 
from the hearth. Balna would say to her 
sisters: “Let us send that woman away; why 

30 


PUNCHKIN 31 

does she want our fire, when she has her own 
house? If we continue to allow her to come 
here, we shall some day be sorry for it.” 

But the other sisters rebuked her, and so 
the widow continued to take some fire from 
the hearth, but while no one was looking, 
she would throw some mud into the dishes 
which were being prepared for the Rajah’s 
dinner. 

One of the reasons that the daughters al- 
ways prepared the food for their father was 
that there should be no danger of his being 
poisoned by his enemies, so when he found 
the mud mixed with his dinner he thought 
it was because they were careless; he knew 
they would not do such a thing on purpose. 
He loved them all very much, and hadn’t 
the heart to reprove them, even though his 
meals were spoiled for several days. 

This happened so often that it puzzled 
him, and so he made up his mind one day 
to hide, and watch his daughters cooking; 
so, going into the room next to the kitchen, 
he saw everything through a hole in the 
wall. 

His daughters carefully washed the rice 


32 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

and prepared the curry, and when these were 
ready, they put each dish on the fire. Very 
soon the widow came to the door, and begged 
for a few sticks from the fire with which 
to cook her own dinner. Balna was angry 
with her, as usual, and said: “Why don’t 
you keep fuel in your own house, instead of 
coming here every day and taking ours? 
Sisters, don’t give her any more wood; let 
her use her own.” 

But the others said: “The poor woman 
is doing us no harm, so let her take a little 
wood and fire.” Balna replied, “Perhaps 
some day she will do us harm, and then we 
shall all be sorry for it.” 

Then the Rajah saw the Prime Minister’s 
widow go to the hearth, and as she took the 
wood, throw some mud into each of the 
dishes. 

This made him very angry, and he ordered 
that the woman be brought before him. 

This was done, but the widow spoke to 
him so very cleverly, saying that she had 
done this thing only that she might gain an 
audience with him, and so cunningly did 
she speak that she actually pleased him well 


PUNCHKIN 


33 

with her words, and instead of punishing 
her, the Rajah married her; so she and her 
daughter came to the palace to live. 

The new Ranee hated the seven poor Prin- 
cesses, and wanted to get rid of them, so 
that her daughter might have all their riches. 
She was very unkind to them, and made 
them as miserable as she could, giving them 
only bread to eat and water to drink, and 
very little of either. This was very hard 
for the seven poor Princesses, who had al- 
ways been used to the best of everything, and 
each day they would sit by their dead 
mother’s tomb, and say: 

“Oh, mother, cannot you see how unhappy 
and miserable your poor children are, and 
how our cruel stepmother is starving us?” 

One day, while they were thus engaged, 
a beautiful pomelo tree grew up out of the 
grave, covered with fresh ripe pomelos, and 
the children certainly enjoyed the delicious 
fruit. And each day after this, instead of 
eating the poor food their stepmother pro- 
vided for them, they would go to their 
mother’s grave and eat the pomelos which 
grew there on the tree. 


34 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

The stepmother was astonished that the 
seven girls should eat nothing and yet be 
well, so she told her daughter to watch them. 

Next day the Prime Minister’s daughter 
followed them, and saw the Princesses gather 
and eat the pomelos. 

Balna saw the girl watching them, and 
said to her sisters: “Let us drive that girl 
away, or else she will tell her mother all 
about it, and then we shall be worse off than 
ever.” 

But they said: “Do not be unkind, Balna. 
The girl would never be so cruel as to tell 
her mother. Let us instead ask her to come 
and have some of the fruit.” So they called 
to her, and gave her some of the pomelos. 

As soon as she could, however, she left 
the Princesses, and went to her mother, and 
told her all about the pomelo tree. She said 
she had eaten some, and they were the nicest 
she had ever tasted. 

This made the cruel Ranee very angry, 
and the next day she told the Rajah that 
she had a very bad headache, and would 
have to stay in bed. 


PUNCHKIN 


35 

The Rajah was much upset, and asked 
what he could do for her. 

She replied that there was only one thing 
that would cure her, and that was to boil 
a fine pomelo tree, root and branch, that 
grew on his dead wife’s grave, and to put 
some of the water in which it had been 
boiled on her forehead. So the Raja did as 
the Ranee desired, and then she declared 
that she was quite well. 

Next day the Princesses went as usual to 
their mother’s grave, and when they found 
that the pomelo tree had disappeared, they 
wept bitterly. 

As they sat there crying they saw by the 
tomb a small tank filled with a rich cream- 
like substance, which hardened into a thick 
white cake. They ate some of this, and 
liked it. Next day the same thing happened, 
and so it went on for many days. 

The cruel stepmother said to her daugh- 
ter: “I don’t understand this; I have had 
the pomelo tree destroyed, and yet the Prin- 
cesses are as well as ever, although they never 
eat the dinner I give them. You must watch 
them again.” 


36 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

Next day, while the Princesses were eat* 
ing the cream-cake, along came their step- 
mother’s daughter. Balna saw her first, and 
said: “Here comes that girl again. Let us 
sit around the edge of the tank and not allow 
her to see it, for if we give her some of the 
cake she will go and tell her mother, and 
that will be very unfortunate for us.” 

But instead of following her advice the 
other sisters gave the girl some of the cake, 
and she went straight home and told her 
mother all about it. 

This made the Ranee more angry than 
before, and she sent her servants to pull 
down the tomb and fill the little tank with 
the ruins. The next day she pretended to be 
very ill indeed, and told the rajah that she 
was at the point of death. 

This grieved him greatly, and he asked 
her if there were any remedy he could get 
for her. She replied that only one thing 
could save her life, but this she knew he 
would not do. He said that whatever it was, 
he would do it. 

Then she told him that if he would save 
her life, he must kill his seven daughters, 


PUNCHKIN 


37 

and put some of their blood on her forehead 
and on the palms of her hands; that their 
death would be her life. 

This made the Rajah very sad, but he had 
promised, and feared to break his word, so 
with a heavy heart he went to seek his daugh- 
ters, whom he found crying by the ruins of 
their mother’s grave. 

Knowing that he could not kill them he 
spoke kindly to them, and told them to come 
out into the jungle with him. There he 
made a fire, and cooked some rice, which 
they ate. 

It was a hot afternoon and all the Prin- 
cesses fell asleep, and then the Rajah stole 
away and left them, saying to himself, “It 
is better that my poor daughters die here 
rather than be killed by their stepmother.” 

Then he shot a deer, and returning home, 
put some of its blood on the forehead and 
hands of the Ranee, who thought that he had 
really killed his daughters, and said she felt 
quite well. 

When the seven Princesses awoke and 
found themselves all alone in the thick jun- 
gle, they were frightened, and called out as 


38 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

loud as they could, hoping to make their 
father hear; but he was too far away by that 
time. 

It so happened that this very day the seven 
young sons of a neighboring Rajah chanced 
to be hunting in the same jungle, and as 
they were returning home, after the day’s 
sport was over, the youngest Prince said to 
his brothers: “Stop, I think I hear someone 
crying and calling out. Let us go in the 
direction of the sound, and find out what 
it is.” 

So the seven Princes rode through the 
wood until they came to the place where the 
seven Princesses sat crying and wringing 
their hands. At the sight of them the young 
Princes were very much astonished, and still 
more so on learning their story. They then 
decided that each should take one of the 
unfortunate young ladies home with him and 
marry her. 

The eldest Prince took the eldest Princess 
home with him and married her. 

The second took the second; the third 
took the third; the fourth took the fourth; 
the fifth took the fifth; the sixth took the 


PUNCHKIN 


39 

sixth, and the seventh, the handsomest of all 
the Princes, took the beautiful and clever 
Balna. 

There was great rejoicing throughout the 
kingdom when the seven young Princes mar- 
ried the seven beautiful Princesses. 

About a year later Balna had a little son, 
and his uncles and aunts were so fond of 
him that he was in great danger of being 
spoiled. None of the other Princesses had 
any children, so Balna’s son was acknowl- 
edged their heir by all of them. 

They lived very happily for some time, 
when one day Balna’s husband decided to 
go out hunting, and away he went. They 
waited a long time for his return, but he 
never came back. 

His six brothers went in search of him, 
but none of them returned. And the seven 
Princesses grieved greatly, for they feared 
that their kind husbands had been killed. 

One day, not long after this, as Balna was 
rocking her baby’s cradle, and whilst her 
sisters were working in the room below, there 
came to the palace door a man in a long 
black cloak, who said he was a Fakir, and 


4 o THE JADE STORY BOOK 

had come to beg. The servants would not 
let him enter the palace, saying that the 
Rajah’s sons had all gone away, and they 
feared that they were dead, and their widows 
must not be interrupted by his begging. But 
he said, “I am a holy man and you must let 
me in.” Then the stupid servants let him 
walk through the palace; they did not know 
that he was no Fakir, but a wicked Magician 
named Punchkin. 

He wandered through the palace, looking 
at the beautiful things there, and at length 
reached the room where Balna sat singing 
to her little boy. The Magician thought her 
more beautiful than all the other beautiful 
things he had seen, and he asked her to go 
home with him and to marry him. But she 
said: “I fear my husband is dead, but my 
little boy is still very young; I will stay 
here and teach him to grow up to be a clever 
man, and when he is old enough he shall go 
out into the world and seek news of his 
father. Heaven forbid that I should ever 
leave him, or marry you.” 

This made the Magician very angry, so 
he turned her into a little black dog, and 


PUNCHKIN 


4i 

led her away, saying, “Since you will not 
come with me of your own free will, I will 
make you.” So the poor Princess was 
dragged away, unable to escape or to let her 
sisters know what had become of her. 

As Punchkin went through the palace gate 
the servants asked him where he got that 
pretty little dog, and he replied that one of 
the Princesses had given it to him, so they 
allowed him to depart. 

Very soon the six elder Princesses heard 
their nephew cry, and when they went up- 
stairs were much surprised to find him all 
alone, and Balna nowhere to be seen. They 
questioned the servants, and when they heard 
of the Fakir and the little black dog they 
guessed what had happened and sent in 
every direction, but neither the Fakir nor 
the dog was to be found. They could do 
nothing, and gave up all hopes of ever seeing 
their kind husbands and their sister and her 
husband again, and so devoted themselves to 
the care and teaching of their little nephew. 

Time went on, and Balna’s son was four- 
teen years old. Then his aunts told him 
the whole story. No sooner had he heard 


42 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

this than he was seized with a great desire 
to go in search of his father and mother and 
uncles, and if he could find them alive to 
bring them home again. On learning his 
determination his aunts were much alarmed, 
saying, “We have lost our husbands and our 
sister and her husband and you are now 
our only hope; if you go away, what shall 
we do?” But he replied, “Do not be dis- 
couraged; I will soon return, and if it is 
possible will bring my mother and father 
and uncles with me.” So he set out on his 
travels, but for several months could learn 
nothing that would help him in his search. 

After journeying many hundreds of weary 
miles, and having become almost hopeless 
of hearing anything further of his parents 
and uncles, he reached a country that was 
full of rocks and stones and trees, and there 
he saw a large palace with a high tower, 
near which was a Malee’s little house. 

As he was looking about the Malee’s wife 
saw him, and ran out of the house and said: 
“My dear boy, who are you that dare venture 
to this dangerous place?” 

He answered, “I am a Rajah’s son, and I 


PUNCHKIN 


43 

am in search of my father and mother and 
my uncles, whom a wicked enchanter be- 
witched.” 

Then said the Malee’s wife: “This coun- 
try and this palace belong to a great Magi- 
cian, who is all-powerful, and if anyone 
displeases him he turns them into stones and 
trees. All the rocks and trees you see here 
were once living people, and the enchanter 
turned them into what they now are. Some 
time ago a Rajah’s son came here, and soon 
afterwards came his six brothers, and all of 
them were turned into stones and trees; and 
these are not the only unfortunate ones, for 
up in that tower lives a beautiful Princess 
whom the Magician has kept prisoner there 
for twelve years, because she hates him and 
will not marry him.” 

The young Prince said to himself, “At 
last I have found what I seek; these must 
be my parents and uncles.” So he told his 
story to the Malee’s wife, and begged her to 
help him. This she agreed to do, and ad- 
vised him to disguise himself, lest the Magi- 
cian should see him. and turn him into 
stone. So she dressed him up in a saree, 


44 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

and pretended that he was her daughter. 

One day, not long after this, as the Magi- 
cian was walking in his garden he saw a 
little girl (as he thought) playing about, and 
asked her who she was. She told him she 
was the Malee’s daughter, and the Magician 
said, “You are a very pretty little girl, and 
to-morrow you shall take a present of flowers 
from me to the beautiful lady who lives in 
the tower.” 

This delighted the young Prince, who 
went immediately to inform the Malee’s 
wife. 

Now it happened that when Balna was 
married her husband had given her a small 
gold ring on which her name was engraved, 
and she had put it on her little son’s finger 
when he was a baby, and later on it was 
enlarged, so that he was still able to wear 
it. The Malee’s wife advised him to fasten 
this ring to the bouquet he was to present to 
his mother, and she would surely recognize 
it. 

This the young Prince did the next day 
when he took the flowers to the imprisoned 
Princess. Balna knew the ring at once, and 


PUNCHKIN 


45 

believed the story her son told her of his 

long search. She told him how the Magi- 

cian had kept her shut up in the tower for 
twelve long years because she refused to 

marry him, and had kept her so closely 

guarded that there was no hope of release. 
She begged him to advise her what to do, 
and at the same time refused to allow him 
to endanger his own life by attempting to 
rescue her. 

Balna’s son was a very clever boy, and he 
said: “Dear mother, have no fear; the first 
thing to do is to find out how far the Magi- 
cian’s power extends, in order that we may 
be able to free my father and uncles. You 
have been angry with him for twelve long 
years, now speak kindly to him. Say that 
you have given up all hopes of seeing your 
husband again, and that you are willing to 
marry him. Then try to find out where his 
power lies, and if it is possible to put him 
to death.” 

So the next day Balna sent for Punchkin, 
and spoke to him as her son had suggested. 
The Magician was overwhelmed with joy at 


46 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

this change, and asked that the wedding take 
place as soon as possible. 

But she said that before she married him 
she must learn to know him better, they hav- 
ing been enemies for so long, and a closer 
acquaintance with him was necessary in 
order to strengthen their friendship. “And 
do tell me,” she said, “if you are quite im- 
mortal. Can death never come to you?” 

“Why do you ask?” said he. 

“Because,” she replied, “if I am to be 
your wife, I want to know all about you, 
so that if any calamity threatens you, I may 
help to overcome, or perhaps avert it.” 

“Certainly I am not as others,” said he. 
“Far, far away, thousands of miles from 
here, is a desolate country covered with 
heavy jungles, in the midst of which grows 
a circle of palm trees, in the center of which 
stand six jugs full of water, piled one above 
the other, and below the sixth is a cage 
which contains a little green parrot. On this 
parrot my life depends, for if this parrot is 
killed I must die. But it is impossible that 
the parrot should come to any harm, both 
because of the inaccessibility of the country, 


PUNCHKIN 


47 

and because I have many thousands of genii 
surrounding the palm trees, who kill anyone 
attempting to approach the place.” 

All this Balna told her son, at the same 
time imploring him to make no attempt to 
kill the parrot. 

But the young Prince replied: “Dear 
Mother, if I do not find that parrot, neither 
you nor my uncles can be liberated. Do not 
fear; I shall return in good season. In the 
meantime, keep the Magician in good 
humor, and put off the marriage with him 
in any way you can. Before he finds out 
the reason for the delay I will return.” With 
this he went away. 

He travelled many weary miles through 
a very desolate country, and at last came to 
a thick jungle. Being very tired, he sat 
down under a tree and fell asleep. Suddenly 
he was awakened by a rustling sound, and 
looking about him, saw a large serpent mak- 
ing its way to an eagle’s nest which was in 
the tree beneath which he was, and in the 
nest were two young eagles. He at once 
drew his sword and killed the serpent. At 
this moment a rushing sound was heard in 


48 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

the air, and the two old eagles, who had 
been hunting food for their little ones, re- 
turned. They saw the dead serpent and the 
young Prince standing over it, and the 
mother eagle said to him: “For many years 
our young ones have been devoured by that 
cruel serpent, and you have now saved the 
lives of our children; whenever you may 
need our help, send to us, and as for these 
little eagles, take them, and let them be your 
servants.” 

Then was the Prince glad. He told them 
of the spot he wished to reach, and so the 
two eaglets crossed their wings, on which he 
mounted, and they carried him far away 
over the thick jungles until he reached the 
circle of palm trees, in the midst of which 
stood the six jugs full of water. It was the 
hottest part of the day, and all round the 
trees the genii were fast asleep. There were 
many thousands of them, so that it would 
have been impossible for anyone to walk 
through their ranks, but they had not thought 
that an attempt to reach the spot could be 
made from above. Down swooped the strong- 
winged eaglets, and down jumped the 


PUNCHKIN 


49 

Prince. In the twinkling of an eye he had 
overthrown the six jugs full of water, seized 
the little parrot, which he rolled up in his 
cloak, and mounted again into the air. Of 
course, this awoke the genii, who filled the 
air with their howls and screeches when they 
found the treasure gone. 

Away flew the eaglets, and when they had 
reached their home in the tree the Prince 
said to the old eagles, “Here are your little 
ones, who have done me good service. If I 
ever need your help again I will not fail to 
ask you for it.” He then continued his jour- 
ney on foot until he arrived at the Magi- 
cian’s palace, at the door of which he sat 
down and began playing with the parrot. 

Punchkin saw him, and came to him at 
once, and said: “My boy, where did you 
get that parrot? I pray you, give it to me.” 

The Prince answered, “This parrot is a 
great pet of mine, and I cannot give it away.” 

Then the Magician asked him to sell it to 
him if he would not give it, but this the 
Prince said he would not do. 

Then was Punchkin filled with fear, and 


5 o THE JADE STORY BOOK 

said he would give him anything he might 
ask for it. 

The Prince answered, “Liberate at once 
the Rajah’s seven sons whom you turned into 
rocks and stones.” 

“I will do it at once,” said the Magician. 
And with a wave of his wand Balna’s hus- 
band and his brothers resumed their natural 
shapes. 

“Now give me the parrot,” implored 
Punchkin. 

“Just wait a minute,” said the Prince. 
“You will first restore to life all whom you 
have thus imprisoned.” 

This the Magician did immediately, and 
then, in a trembling voice, cried, “Give me 
my parrot.” 

And now the whole garden was alive with 
people. Where there had been rocks and 
stones now stood Rajahs, Punts, Sirdars, men 
on horseback, pages and servants. 

“Give me my parrot!” cried Punchkin. 
But the only reply the boy made was to break 
off one of its wings, and as he did so the 
Magician’s right arm fell off. 

With his left arm outstretched Punchkin 


PUNCHKIN 


5 1 

cried, “Give me my parrot!” Off came the 
second wing, and the Magician’s left arm 
fell to the ground. 

On his knees he begged, “Give me my 
parrot!” Then the Prince pulled off the 
right leg, and the Magician’s right leg fell 
off. The parrot’s left leg came off, and at 
once Punchkin’s left leg fell down. 

And now there remained only the Magi- 
cian’s body and head, but still he cried, “Give 
me my parrot!” 

“Take your parrot, then,” said the boy, 
and with this he wrung the bird’s neck and 
threw it at what was left of the Magician. 
As the parrot’s neck was wrung, Punchkin’s 
head twisted around, and with a groan, he 
fell dead. 

Then they released Balna from the tower, 
and all of them returned to their own palace; 
and it can be imagined with what joy the 
seven husbands and seven wives and their 
nephew met again. 


PRINCESS MOONLIGHT 


Many years ago there lived a poor old bam- 
boo-cutter, whose great sorrow it was that 
Heaven had sent no child to cheer his wife 
and himself in their old age. Every morn- 
ing he went into the woods in search of the 
lithe bamboo, which he would split length- 
wise or cut into joints, and these he would 
take home with him, and his wife would 
turn them into useful or ornamental articles 
for the household, and sell them. 

While working at his task one day in a 
small grove of the slender trees that he had 
discovered, he was surprised by a soft, bright 
light which suddenly flooded the spot in 
which he was, and he was astonished to see 
that all this brilliance came from one 
bamboo. 

Marvelling at the beautiful sight, he went 
to this bamboo stem, in the hollow of which 
was a tiny, but exceedingly beautiful, little 
girl, about three inches in height. 

52 


PRINCESS MOONLIGHT 53 

“As I have found you here where lies my 
daily work,” said the old man, “I must look 
upon you as a child sent from Heaven.” So, 
very carefully he took the exquisite little 
creature home to his wife, and both of them 
were filled with joy because there was now a 
child, come to them in a most marvelous 
manner, upon whom they could devote the 
love of their old age. 

And with the child came good fortune, 
for from this time the old man found gold 
and precious stones in the notches of the 
bamboos when he cut them up, so that before 
long he was rich enough to retire, and he 
built a fine house in which they all lived very 
happily. 

The bamboo child was no ordinary child, 
for in a very few months she was quite 
grown-up, and so beautiful was she that the 
old people treated her like a princess, and 
allowed no one to see her or wait upon her 
but themselves. Her very presence made 
them happy, and no trace of sorrow could 
exist where she was. And wherever she 
might be a beautiful, soft light made the 
place radiant. And so they called her Prin- 


54 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

cess Moonlight, because they thought that 
only a daughter of the Moon God could give 
forth such a soft, bright light. 

Of course, the fame of so lovely a Prin- 
cess spread far and wide, and many were the 
suitors who sought to win her hand. Not 
only from that country, but from foreign 
lands did they come, and the house was 
constantly surrounded by those who hoped 
to catch even a glimpse of her through the 
windows, or as she walked in the garden. 
But to none of them would the old man grant 
permission to address his adopted daughter, 
and at last all but five of them lost hope, and 
departed to their homes. 

These five were very determined knights, 
whose ardor became the greater as their 
quest became the more difficult. They stood 
outside the garden walls in sunshine and rain, 
eating only such food as was brought to them. 
They wrote letters and verses to the Princess, 
telling her of the great love for her which 
prevented them from returning to their own 
homes, and even from taking rest and sleep. 
But no word did they receive from the 
Princess. 


PRINCESS MOONLIGHT 55 

Winter and Spring passed, and Summer 
came, and still the knights watched and 
waited. They besought the old man to in- 
tercede for them, but he answered that he 
was not her real father, and that he could 
not order her to obey him, and also that he 
would not ask her to do anything she did not 
wish to do. 

At length the five knights returned to their 
homes, where they tried to forget the Prin- 
cess Moonlight, but this they could not do, 
so they again came to the bamboo-cutter’s 
house, and this time they asked the old man 
to tell them if the Princess were determined 
never to see any man. They begged him to 
say that their love for her was boundless, and 
ask for an opportunity to plead their cause. 

Now, the old man would gladly have seen 
his lovely foster-daughter married to one of 
these suitors, and he felt sorry for them, 
so he said to the Princess: 

“Dear one, you know that I love you quite 
as much as though you were my real child, 
and that there is nothing I would not do 
to make you happy. I cannot live many 
more years, for I am already old, and it 


56 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

would be a great satisfaction to me to know 
that you are happily married before the time 
comes for me to die. Will you not consent 
to see these five brave knights, one at a time, 
and make up your mind which of them you 
will marry?” 

The Princess replied that she could not 
love her own father any more than she loved 
him, and that her greatest wish was to 
please him. Still, she did not feel that she 
could see the five knights, even though as- 
sured that they were worthy, but would 
make one more trial of their love, and if 
they were successful in this, then would 
she grant their request. Each of them was to 
prove his love by bringing to her from a 
distant country something that she wished 
to possess. 

The bamboo-cutter then went out to the 
five knights, and told them what the Prin- 
cess had said, and all of them were satisfied, 
because the test given to each one would 
prevent jealousy between them. 

So the next day Princess Moonlight sent 
word to the first knight that she wished him 


PRINCESS MOONLIGHT 57 

to bring her the stone bowl which had be- 
longed to Buddha in India. 

The second knight was to go to the Moun- 
tain of Horai, in the Eastern Sea, and to 
bring her a branch of the wonderful jewel- 
tree that grew on its topmost height. 

The third knight was to search through 
China for the fire-rat, and to bring her its 
skin. 

The fourth knight was to find the dragon 
whose right eye was a many-colored stone, 
and to bring the eye to her. 

The fifth knight was to find the swallow 
which carried a shell in its stomach, and 
which lived in the Aegean Sea, and to bring 
her the shell. 

These tasks seemed to the old man to be 
so impossible of accomplishment that he 
didn’t like to take the messages, but the 
Princess refused to make any change in 
them, so he gave them to the knights word 
for word. 

The knights were so disheartened by the 
tests given them, that they returned to their 
homes, resolved to forget the beautiful Prin- 
cess, but each found himself unable to do 


s 8 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

this, so before long they had all sent word 
that they were starting out on their respect- 
ive quests. 

Now travel in those days was not easy, 
but full of danger and difficulty, and the 
first knight lacked the courage to go to India. 
So he went to a temple in one of the large 
cities of Japan, and bribed the head priest 
to let him take away a stone bowl which 
was on the altar there. He wrapped this up 
very carefully, and after waiting for two 
years, took it to the old bamboo-cutter. 

The Princess received the package, and 
unwrapped it, but saw at once that it was 
a sham, and not the bowl of Buddha, because 
it did not shine as the true one would have 
done. So she returned it to the knight, and 
refused to see him. 

The second knight, with twelve skilled 
jewelers, went to an island he knew of, and 
there they designed a gold and silver branch 
which he was sure would satisfy the Prin- 
cess. To hold this branch he had his gold- 
smiths make a beautiful box, and when 
sufficient time had elapsed he took it to the 
bamboo-cutter, asking him to tell the Prin- 


PRINCESS MOONLIGHT 59 

cess that here was the branch of the wonder- 
ful jewel-tree that grew on the topmost 
height of Mount Horai. 

Princess Moonlight opened the box and 
took out the jeweled branch, but she saw 
at once that it was not what the knight 
stated it to be. And even as she was look- 
ing at it, the old man was summoned to the 
door by the twelve jewelers who had de- 
signed and made the beautiful thing, but 
who had not been paid for their work. The 
Princess overheard their conversation with 
her foster-father, and then directed that they 
be well paid for what they had done. They 
then went away, after thanking the Princess 
for her kindness. But the knight returned 
to his home, a sadly disappointed man. 

The task of the third knight was to get 
the skin of the fire-rat, whose virtue was 
that no fire could harm it. Now he had a 
friend who lived in China, and to him he 
wrote, offering him a very large sum of 
money if he would procure that which he 
desired. 

This friend was very willing to accept 
the knight’s money, but wished to earn it 


60 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

without putting himself to any more trouble 
than was necessary, so he waited for quite 
a while, and then sent him the skin of an 
ordinary rat, also a message which told him 
of the hardships he had undergone in order 
to procure it. 

This skin the third knight took to the bam- 
boo-cutter, saying that he would wait outside 
the gate for the Princess’s answer. 

The Princess took the package from the 
old man, and said she would test the skin 
by putting it in the fire before consenting to 
see the knight. This she did, and of course 
the skin just crackled and burned up at 
once, so she knew it was a fraud. 

Thus the third knight failed to see her. 

The task of the fourth knight was to find 
the dragon whose right eye was a many- 
colored stone, but instead of seeking it 
himself he called several of his retainers 
together, and ordered them to search 
through China and Japan, and not to return 
unless they brought it with them. 

But they, having no idea of obeying what 
they considered to be an impossible order, 


PRINCESS MOONLIGHT 61 


merely used this as an excuse for taking a 
pleasant holiday. 

The knight waited a year and no word 
came to him, so he decided to go himself. 
Taking five servants with him, he hired a 
ship, and started for China. 

When but a few days out they ran into 
a fearful storm, and before this abated, the 
ship was driven on shore. 

The knight now blamed the Princess for 
the disaster, and his love turned to anger. 
It seemed to him that she had sent him on a 
mission of great danger, knowing it to be 
impossible to accomplish the task which she 
had set him. So he determined to give up 
all thought of winning the Princess Moon- 
light. 

The fifth knight was no more successful 
than was the fourth, so he, too, gave up the 
attempt. 

Reports of the wondrous beauty of the 
Princess Moonlight had reached the Em- 
peror, so he sent a messenger to her, sum- 
moning her to the royal palace. But the 
messenger was no more successful in seeing 
her than the five knights had been, in spite 


62 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

of the fact that it was the Emperor’s order. 
The Princess told the bamboo-cutter that 
she would vanish from the earth rather than 
go to the palace. 

So the messenger at last returned, and when 
the Emperor heard that she would disap- 
pear from sight in preference to obeying 
his order, he made up his mind to go and 
see her himself. He therefore sent word to 
the bamboo-cutter of his intention, forbid- 
ding him to say anything about his visit to 
his foster-daughter. 

The next day he set out with his retinue, 
which he left at a certain spot, and rode on 
alone. He reached the house and the bam- 
boo-cutter opened the door for him. 

The Emperor went straight to the apart- 
ment of the Princess, and never had he even 
imagined such wondrous beauty as he saw 
when his eyes beheld the Moon Daughter. 
He at once fell madly in love with her, and 
begged her to come to the Court, and share 
his throne. 

But she refused, and said that if he at- 
tempted to force her to go to the Palace, she 
would turn into a shadow, and this she did, 


PRINCESS MOONLIGHT 63 

even as he looked at her. This filled him 
with fear, and he promised to leave her free 
if she would resume here former shape, to 
which she then returned. 

Then the Emperor left, but night and day 
he thought only of the beautiful Princess 
Moonlight. 

Soon after this the bamboo-cutter and his 
wife noticed that the Princess would sit on 
her balcony and gaze ardently at the moon, 
after which she would burst into tears. They 
asked her the reason for this, and she told 
them that she did not belong to this world, 
but came from the moon. And on the fif- 
teenth day of this very month her real 
parents would send for her and she would 
have to go. It was the thought of leaving 
her kind foster-parents, and the home in 
which she had been so happy, that made her 
weep. This made the old people and the 
Princess’s attendants very sad, for they all 
loved her, and the thought of losing her was 
a great blow to them. 

The news soon reached the Emperor, who 
at once made plans to keep the Princess 
Moonlight on earth. When the fifteenth day 


64 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

of the month came, he had a guard of many 
thousands of warriors stationed all around 
the house, and also on the roof, for it was 
his intention to make prisoners of the en- 
voys of the moon, and to prevent the taking 
away of the Princess, whom the bamboo- 
cutter and his wife had hidden in an inner 
room. 

Orders were given that no one should 
sleep, and the strictest watch was to be kept. 
But the Princess said that all of these meas- 
ures were useless, for nothing could prevent 
her people from carrying out their purpose. 
She told the bamboo-cutter and his wife how 
very sorry she would be to leave them, and 
that it was not her wish to leave them. It 
made her sad to think that she would not be 
able to make a return for all the love and 
kindness they had shown her. 

The harvest moon arose, and flooded the 
earth with her beautiful golden light, and 
still nothing happened. The darkness of night 
had begun to make way for the gray dawn, 
and hope came to the anxious watchers; hope 
that the Princess would not be taken away 
after all. Then suddenly a dark cloud 


PRINCESS MOONLIGHT 65 

seemed to leave the moon, and soon the sky 
was entirely obscured. It kept on its down- 
ward course until it reached within a few 
feet of the roof, and then stopped. Then 
did the watchers see a brilliant chariot, in 
which were beings who radiated light, as 
did the Princess. 

From the chariot stepped one who had the 
look of a king, and who trod the air as easily 
and as gracefully as though he were on hard 
ground. 

In a voice so clear that it was distinctly 
heard by every one of the awed watchers, he 
said: 

“Princess Moonlight, many moons ago you 
committed a grave fault, and for punish- 
ment were sent down to earth to live for 
a time. The bamboo-cutter and his wife 
have taken good care of you, and to them we 
have given wealth. The time has come for 
you to return to your own people, so come 
at once from this lowly dwelling.” 

Then, through the walls of the house was 
the Princess seen, shining, bright and of 
wonderful beauty. She kissed the old man 
and his wife, and spoke words of comfort to 


66 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

them, saying that her heart was full of love 
for them, and that she was leaving them 
against her own will. The Emperor also 
she bade good-by. Then she was trans- 
ported through the air to the chariot, which 
mounted, swiftly towards the moon. 

And now came the morning light, and 
no trace of the moon-chariot was left to 
those who gazed upwards with tearful eyes, 
and with a full heart the Emperor ordered 
his warriors to return. 

Sorrowful as were the old bamboo-cutter 
and his wife, yet were they full of gratitude 
for having known the love of a daughter, 
who, while not with them in the body, 
would always dwell with them in spirit. 


THE FOX AND THE CRAFTY CRAB 


A FOX was one day walking along the bank 
of a river when he met a Crab. “Good 
morning, Mr. Crab,” said he. “Don’t you 
ever get tired of creeping over the ground?” 

“No,” replied the Crab, “because it is as 
natural for me to crawl as it is for you to 
run; and I can cover the ground very 
quickly, too, when it is necessary.” 

The Fox laughed at him, and said, sneer- 
ingly: “I think you are very slow and very 
stupid. I have only four legs, while you 
have twice as many, and yet I can run ten 
times as fast and as far as you can.” 

Then the Crab said: “But see how much 
bigger you are; if you were as small as I 
am, you would probably not travel any more 
quickly than I do. Perhaps I am very slow 
and very stupid, but if you will allow me 
to hang a weight on that fine tail of yours, 
to hold it down, I challenge you to as long a 
race as you care to run.” 

67 


68 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

The Fox thought he might just as well 
teach the stupid Crab a lesson, so, in a voice 
filled with contempt, he said: “When you 
ask me to race with you, even with any 
handicap you like, you show how little un- 
derstanding you have. You have many legs 
and no sense, while I have four legs and 
am known to be the wisest inhabitant of the 
forest. Even human beings refer to me as 
the slyest of the sly.” 

But again the Crab offered to race with 
him if he would but allow him to hang a 
weight on his tail, so that it would stay 
down. The Fox laughed at him, saying that 
he was foolish to think that he could win 
a race between them under any conditions; 
but as the Crab repeated the offer, the Fox 
at last consented. 

So the Crab said: “When I have secured 
it to your tail, I will say ‘Ready!’ and that 
will be the signal to start, then go as fast 
as you like.” 

With this the Crab went behind the Fox, 
and firmly gripped his tail with his pincers. 
Then he called out, “Ready!” 

The Fox began to run; he ran until he 


THE FOX AND THE CRAB 69 

was tired, and then stopped to rest. To his 
surprise he heard the Crab say: “Well, Mr. 
Fox, with all your boasting, you haven’t 
beaten me yet!” 

“This is very strange,” said the Fox to 
himself, “but if I am tired, I know the 
Crab must be a great deal more so.” He 
started off again, and ran until he was almost 
out of breath. Feeling sure that the Crab 
was now far behind, he lay down on the 
ground, panting. 

If he had been surprised to hear the Crab’s 
voice when he stopped before, how much 
more so was he now, when the Crab said: 
“Ha, ha! Mr. Braggart, you seem to be 
winded. Come, let us go on with the race.” 
He got upon his feet, and the Crab, who 
had released his grip from the Fox’s tail, 
crawled up in front of him, looking just 
as fresh as when they began the race. 

The Fox looked at him, and then, with- 
out a word, slunk away, his head bowed in 
shame. 


INGRATITUDE 


ONCE upon a time a certain king had as his 
Chief Counsellor a man who was proud and 
oppressive to those under him. 

Not far from the royal palace, in which 
this man dwelt, was a forest well stocked 
with game. By his order various pits were 
dug there, and covered with leaves, for the 
purpose of catching wild beasts. 

One day, while riding in the forest, he 
was so overcome by the thought of his own 
greatness, that he exclaimed aloud: “There 
is no man in all this empire more powerful 
than I am.” 

Scarcely had the braggart spoken than he 
fell into one of the pitfalls that he had 
ordered to be made and he immediately dis- 
appeared from view. 

When his eyes became accustomed to the 
dim light of the hole, he was horrified to 
find that he had as fellow prisoners a lion, 

70 


INGRATITUDE 


7i 

a monkey, and a serpent. He was stricken 
with terror, and cried out at the top of his 
voice. 

Not far from the pit was lying asleep a 
poor man called Guido, who had come with 
his ass to the forest to gather firewood, by 
the sale of which he made a poor living. 
The noise made by the great man awakened 
him, and he hastened to give what aid he 
could to whoever might be in trouble. 

The cries guided him to the mouth of 
the pit and there he was promised a great 
sum of money by the Prime Minister if he 
would rescue him from his perilous position. 

Guido told him that his living depended 
upon the collecting of faggots, and if he 
neglected this for a single day, he would be 
thrown into great difficulties. The captive 
again promised him a large reward, so Guido 
went back to the city, and returned with a 
long cord, which he let down into the pit, 
telling the great man to bind it around his 
waist, and he would then pull him out. 

But before he could do this, the lion 
leaped forward, and seizing upon the cord, 
was drawn up in his stead, and showing 


72 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

signs of the greatest pleasure, ran off into the 
wood. 

Guido again let down the rope, and this 
time the monkey, who had noted the lion’s 
success, jumped over the man’s head and, 
shaking the cord, was in like manner set at 
liberty, and hastened to his own haunts. 

A third time Guido lowered the rope, and 
this time the serpent, twining around it, was 
drawn up, and showing signs of gratitude to 
the peasant, escaped. 

“Oh, my good friend,” exclaimed the Coun- 
sellor, “the beasts are gone, now draw me 
up quickly, I beseech you.” This Guido did, 
and afterwards succeeded in pulling up his 
horse, which had fallen into the pit with 
him. Then without another word, the man 
who had been saved mounted his horse, and 
rode back to the palace. 

When Guido returned to his home his 
wife saw that he had come without wood, 
and inquired the cause. He told her all 
that had happened, and the great reward 
he was to receive, and then his wife’s coun- 
tenance brightened. 

Early the next morning Guido went to 


INGRATITUDE 73 

the palace, but to his surprise the Prime 
Minister not only denied all knowledge of 
him, but had him beaten for his presumption, 
and this so severely that the porter who car- 
ried out his orders left him half dead. 

As soon as Guido’s wife heard of this she 
saddled their ass, and going to the palace, 
carefully placed her husband upon its back, 
and took him home, where he lay sick for 
a long time. This illness took all of their 
savings, but as soon as he was able, he re- 
turned to his usual occupation in the forest. 

One day, while thus employed, he saw 
afar off ten asses laden with packs, and a 
lion following close on them. They were 
coming towards him, and when close enough 
Guido noticed that the beast was the same 
which he had freed from the pit. 

The lion signified with his foot that Guido 
should take the loaded asses, and go home. 
This he did, and the lion followed. Having 
reached his own door, the noble beast 
fawned upon him, and wagging his tail as if 
in triumph, ran back into the woods. 

Guido was very honest, and even though 
he was poor he made no attempt to open the 


74 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

packages until he had caused notice to be 
given throughout the city that if any asses 
had been lost, the owners should come to 
him. 

He waited for some time, but as no one 
came to demand them be undid the packs, 
and to his great joy found them to be full 
of money. 

The next time Guido went to the forest 
he forgot to take the axe with which to 
chop the wood, but there appeared before 
him the monkey he had liberated, and the 
grateful animal, with his teeth and nails, cut 
the wood for him. 

The following day he went to collect fire- 
wood as usual, and as the head of his axe 
had become loose, he sat down to tighten 
it. While thus engaged he saw the serpent, 
whose escape he had aided, gliding towards 
him, carrying in its mouth a stone of three 
colors, white, black, and red. It opened 
its mouth, dropped the stone into Guido’s 
lap, and departed. 

Guido took the stone to a well-known 
dealer in jewels, who at once offered him a 
considerable sum of money for it, but this 


INGRATITUDE 


75 

he refused. He kept the stone and through 
its magic qualities gained wealth and mili- 
tary command. 

In time the fame of this wonderful stone 
reached the Emperor, who desired to see it. 
Guido accordingly took it to the palace, and 
his Majesty was so struck by its beauty that 
he wished to purchase it. 

Guido had no desire to part with the stone, 
and the Emperor, noticing his unwillingness 
to sell it, threatened him with banishment 
from the kingdom if he refused. 

Then Guido said: “My lord, I will sell 
the stone; but let me say one thing — if the 
price be not given, it shall be returned to 
me.” He then named a price so high that 
he hoped the Emperor would not give it. 
But the ruler was determined to have it at 
any cost, and so the stone changed hands. 

Full of admiration, the Emperor ex- 
claimed: “Tell me where you procured this 
beautiful stone.” 

Then Guido narrated from the beginning 
the Prime Minister’s accident and later in- 
gratitude. He told how severely he had 
been injured by his order, and the benefits 


76 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

he had received from the lion, the monkey, 
and the serpent. 

The Emperor was greatly touched by the 
story, and sending for his Chief Counsellor, 
asked him if what Guido said was true. 

The Prime Minister was unable to reply, 
and the Emperor said: “You wretched mon- 
ster of ingratitude! Guido saved you from 
great danger, and in return you nearly de- 
stroyed him. Even the beasts of the forest 
rendered him good for the help he gave 
them, but you returned only evil for good. 
For this I will strip you of all your wealth 
and dignities, and bestow them upon your 
benefactor, and you shall be cast into prison.” 

The Prime Minister was so hated by the 
people for his cruelty and oppression that 
there was general rejoicing in the land at 
this judgment of the Emperor. 


This story was used by King Richard the 
Lion Hearted of England in reproving such 
nobles and princes as refused to engage 
in the Crusades, thus showing their ingrat- 
itude to God. 


THE PAPER BAG 

There were once two brothers, the elder of 
whom, named Musai, was honest and kind, 
but poor. He was just the opposite of his 
younger brother, called Cho, who was cruel, 
stingy, dishonest and rich. 

Musai was in need of seed-rice and silk- 
worms’ eggs. The past season had been an 
unfortunate one for him, and it was necessary 
for him to have these. Knowing that his 
brother had an abundance of good rice-seed 
and splendid eggs, he begged him to lend 
him some. 

Now, Cho hated to lend anyone anything, 
but he didn’t see how he could very well 
refuse his brother’s request, so he picked out 
some musty rice-seed and dead eggs, and 
gave them to him, feeling sure that they were 
worthless. 

Musai thanked him for his kindness, and 
took them home. He put plenty of mulberry 

77 


78 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

leaves with the eggs, so that the silkworms 
should have plenty of food when they should 
arrive. And strange to say the worms came, 
and throve splendidly, much to Cho’s disap- 
pointment, because he was too mean to wish 
good-fortune to visit anyone but himself. 

He took it as a personal insult that the 
dead eggs he had let his brother have should 
hatch so well, so one day, when Musai was 
out, he went to his home, and cut every silk- 
worm in two. 

When Musai returned, he was filled with 
dismay on seeing all of his silkworms killed, 
but he didn’t think of suspecting his own 
brother. He had placed a good supply of 
mulberry leaves for them only the day be- 
fore, and each piece of worm came to life, 
and throve. 

Now he had twice as many silkworms as 
before, and they spun double the amount of 
silk that he had expected; so his brother Cho 
had really done him a good turn when he 
tried to ruin him. 

Musai began to prosper, much to the dis- 
gust of Cho, who proceeded to cut all of his 
own silkworms in half, thinking that of 


THE PAPER BAG 79 

course the same good fortune would be his. 
But instead of coming to life again the worms 
died, which meant the loss of much money 
for him. This made him very jealous of his 
brother. 

The musty rice-seed which he had given 
his brother, and which Musai had planted, 
also turned out well, for it flourished better 
than any of his own had done. This only 
added to his jealousy. 

The time to cut and harvest the rice ap- 
proached, when clouds of birds came and 
devoured it. Musai hastened to drive them 
away, and this he did again and again, but 
each time they returned. 

Chasing them away was very tiring work, 
so he finally pursued them to a distant field, 
and then they disappeared. Here he lay 
down to rest, and soon fell asleep. 

There came him a dream in which he 
was surrounded by a band of merry children. 
They danced and sang and played games. 

In the last of these the eldest of the chil- 
dren lifted up a stone which lay near Mu- 
sai’s head and from beneath it drew a paper 
bag. With this in his hand he went to the 


8o THE JADE STORY BOOK 

center of the ring, and asked each child in 
turn, “What would you like to have out of 
the bag?” 

One child answered, “A kite.” The bag 
was shaken, and out came a beautiful kite, 
string, tail and all. The next one said she 
would like a doll. The bag was again shaken 
and there was one, beautifully dressed, ready 
for her to hold in her arms. 

Each child in turn was asked what he or 
she desired, and the bag granted every wish. 
At last they went home, but before leaving 
the field the boy who had taken the magic 
bag from beneath the stone carefully re- 
placed it. 

Soon Musai awoke, and so clear was the 
dream to him that he turned around to look 
for the stone, and there it was, close by his 
head. “How very strange,” he thought. 
Then, without really expecting to find any- 
thing, he raised the stone, and underneath 
it was the paper bag. 

Holding this carefully in his hand, he 
returned to his home, and there he did as he 
had seen the children do in his dream. He 
called out “Gold,” or “Silver,” or whatever 


THE PAPER BAG 81 

he thought of, shook the bag, and out came 
that which he had named. 

Musai now became rich and prosperous. 
He told his brother how this good fortune 
had come to him in a dream, and this made 
Cho more jealous of him than before. 

Cho made up his mind to get another such 
paper bag for himself, so he took some of 
Musai’s rice-seed, planted it, and waited im- 
patiently for it to grow. 

In due time it ripened, and now he waited 
for the birds to come and eat the rice. To 
his delight they came, and he lost no time 
in driving them away, pursuing them to the 
field where Musai had slept and dreamed. 

He lay down, intending to follow his 
brother’s example, but found that he could 
not go to sleep, try as hard as he might. He 
had not been there long before a group of 
children came to the field and began to play 
and enjoy themselves. After a while they 
all sat down in a ring, and Cho, who pre- 
tended to be asleep, watched carefully out 
of one half-opened eye to see what they 
would do next. 

He saw the eldest one come to the stone 


82 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

close to his head and lift it up, but there 
was no paper bag beneath it. 

The boy was surprised, and said: “I be- 
lieve this lazy old farmer has taken our 
bag,” and then he seized Cho’s nose, and 
gave it a good pull. 

Cho then jumped up, and the boy repeated 
what he had said. The children wouldn’t 
believe him when he declared that he had 
touched neither the stone nor the bag, and 
they shouted and jeered at him. 

But this was not the hardest thing that 
happened to him; for his nose, which the 
boy had pulled, began to grow. Larger and 
larger it became, until at last it reached the 
ground. 

In his anger he struck right and left at 
the children, and ran from the field, holding 
his nose from the ground as well as he could. 

He went to his brother’s house and told 
him what had occurred. Then a change 
came over him, and he felt ashamed of him- 
self. He remembered how jealous he had 
been of Musai, and how he had tried to 
ruin him by killing his silkworms. He was 


THE PAPER BAG 83 

humble, confessed everything, and asked his 
brother to forgive him. 

Musai spoke kindly to him, and said that 
this punishment had come to him on account 
of his envy and jealousy, which bring hap- 
piness to no one. 

Then he took the paper bag, and gently 
rubbed Cho’s nose with it. Gradually this 
became shorter and shorter, until at last it 
resumed its former shape. 

This was a lesson that Cho was not al- 
lowed to forget, because whenever after this 
he attempted to do anything mean or dis- 
honest, his nose would become sore, and in 
his terror lest it should grow again, he 
trained himself to live as a kindly, well-dis- 
posed man should do. 


ROSAMOND THE SWIFT OF FOOT 

A CERTAIN king had an only daughter, who, 
while yet a child, was famed for her mar- 
vellous beauty and dignity of bearing. Her 
name was Rosamond, and in addition to her 
charm of face and figure, she excelled all 
others at athletic games. When only ten 
years of age so swift a runner was she that 
her equal at this sport could not be found. 

When she became of marriageable age 
her father issued a proclamation that who- 
ever could surpass her in speed should marry 
her, and become heir to the throne; but if 
he were to fail in the race, his life would 
be forfeit. 

The penalty for lack of speed in the race 
was heavy, but many were those who made 
the attempt, hoping that they might succeed, 
only to perish as a result. 

Now there was a poor man called Abibas, 

84 


ROSAMOND THE SWIFT 85 

a wanderer with no place he could call 
home, who heard of the king’s proclamation, 
and he said to himself: “I am poor and 
have but little to lose; if I may overcome 
this princess and marry her I shall not only 
enrich myself, but will be able to assist my 
relatives and what friends I have.” So he 
resolved to accept the challenge. 

But this man was wiser than the others, 
for he took the three following precautions: 
First, he framed a curious garland of roses, 
of which he discovered the princess was very 
fond. Then he procured a piece of the 
finest silk, knowing that this would attract 
the attention of most young women. And, 
lastly, he secured a silken bag in which he 
placed a gilded ball on which was written: 
“Whosoever plays with me shall never tire 
of play.” With these three things hidden 
within his blouse he went to the palace gate 
and declared his desire to enter the race 
for the hand of the princess. 

It happened that the maiden herself was 
standing at a window close by and heard 
Abibas express his wish to run against her. 
Seeing that he was poor, with clothes thread- 


86 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

bare and torn, she despised him, and said, 
“What poor wretch is this with whom I have 
to contend?” However, the king had to 
stand by the words of his proclamation, so 
preparations for the race were made. 

Abibas soon saw that unless he should be 
able to take the attention of the princess 
away from the race he would be defeated. 
She was in the lead, so he took the garland 
of roses, which he had hidden, and skilfully 
threw it in front of her. 

As he had foreseen, the maiden stopped to 
pick it up and put it on her head. The 
roses were indeed beautiful and gave forth 
a delightful perfume. She was charmed by 
their fragrance, and paused to admire them. 

Abibas took advantage of this, and in- 
creasing his speed, rapidly passed her. This 
caused her to cry out in anger: “Never 
shall the daughter of a king be wed to such 
a clown as you.” She threw the garland 
from her and rushed onward like a whirl- 
wind. 

It was not long before she caught up 
with him, and extending her hand, she struck 
him upon the shoulder, saying: “Stop, fool- 


ROSAMOND THE SWIFT 87 

ish one, do you hope to marry a princess?” 

As she was on the point of passing him 
Abibas drew forth the piece of silk, and 
threw it at her feet. 

Rosamond was attracted by the beautiful 
color and texture of the material, and could 
not resist the temptation to stop and pick 
it up. Then she tied it round her waist, 
and by this time her adversary was consid- 
erably in advance of her. 

She saw the consequence of her foolish- 
ness, and throwing away the piece of silk, 
flew on at such a pace that she soon over- 
took Abibas, whom she struck upon the arm, 
at the same time saying, “Fool, you shall not 
marry me.” 

They were not far from the goal, and in 
a few seconds the race would be over. The 
princess had almost won when Abibas threw 
at her feet the bag containing the gilded 
ball. 

Rosamond could not help stopping to 
pick it up, and it was impossible for her 
not to open the bag to see what was inside. 
This she did, and then she read the inscrip- 


88 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

tion, “Who plays with me shall never tire 
of playing.” 

The wise Abibas came first to the goal, 
and by the terms of the king’s proclama- 
tion he married the princess. 


THE JACKAL, DEER, AND CROW 


In a forest called *Champak-Grove lived 
two friends, a Deer and a Crow. The Deer 
was roaming among the trees one day, when 
he was observed by a Jackal. 

“Ho! Ho!” said the Jackal to himself, 
“If I can only win the confidence of this 
Deer, it may be that he will make a very 
fine meal for me.” So he approached the 
Deer, and wished him a very good morning. 

“Who are you?” said the Deer. 

“I’m Small-wit, the Jackal,” replied the 
other. “I live here all alone in the wood, 
and it is very lonely without anyone to talk 
to. It makes me very happy to know you, 
and I hope you will look upon me as your 
friend.” 

“Very well,” said the Deer, so off they 
went together. 

•The Champak is a bushy tree bearing a profusion of 
blossoms which resemble stars. It gives forth a delightful 
perfume. 


90 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

It was beginning to grow dark when the 
Crow, whose name was Sharp-sense, saw the 
two coming home together. He asked the 
Deer who his companion was. 

“It is a Jackal who wishes to know us,” 
answered the Deer. 

“You must be careful with whom you be- 
come friendly,” said Sharp-sense. “You 
know 

‘To folks by no one known house-room 
deny : — 

The Vulture housed the Cat, and thence did 
die.’ 

“How was that?” asked the Deer and the 
Jackal. 

“I will tell you,” replied the Crow. 

“On the banks of the River Ganges is a 
cliff called Vulture-Crag, upon which was 
a large fig-tree. It was hollow, and inside 
it dwelt an old Vulture who had lost both 
eyes and talons, and who was kept alive with 
food given him by the friendly birds that 
roosted in the tree. 

“One day, when the parent birds were 


JACKAL, DEER, AND CROW 91 

away, a Cat came, thinking to make a meal 
of the young birds, of which there were 
several. The nestlings were so much afraid 
of the Cat that they made noise enough* to 
arouse the Vulture. 

“ Who is there?’ croaked he. 

“The Cat, seeing the Vulture, thought his 
end was surely come. He knew he couldn’t 
get away, so had to use his wits. Drawing 
nearer, he said: 

“ ‘Honored sir, I wish you a very good 
morning.’ 

“ Who are you?’ asked the Vulture. 

“ T am a Cat.’ 

“ ‘Go away at once, Cat, or I will kill 
you,’ said the Vulture. 

“The Cat then begged the Vulture to listen 
to what he had to say, and afterward decide 
whether he should live or die. 

“To this the Vulture consented, and so the 
Cat began: 

“ ‘I live near the River Ganges, eating no 
flesh and doing many things by way of pen- 
ance. The birds that often visit me have 
said so much in your praise that I have 
come here, hoping to learn wisdom from 


92 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

you. It is not possible that you, who must 
know the law of strangers, could think of 
slaying me. Without doubt you know what 
the book says about the householder: — 

Bar not thy door to the stranger, be he 
friend or be he foe, 

For the tree will shade the woodman while 
his axe doth lay it low. 

“Also : — 

Greeting fair, and room to rest in; fire, 
and water from the well — 

Honor him for thine own honor — better is 
he than the best. 

“Then there is the rebuke: — 

Pity them that ask thy pity; who art thou 
to stint thy hoard, 

When the beauteous moon shines equal on 
the lowly and the lord! 

“To all of which the Vulture said: ‘Your 
words have much weight, but cats are very 
fond of meat, and as there are young birds 
here I told you to go.’ 

“Then the Cat bowed his head to the 


JACKAL, DEER, AND CROW 93 

ground, showing his humility. ‘Sir/ said 
he, ‘I have overcome temptation, practised 
penance, and know the Scriptures. Always 
do I keep away from injuring others, for 

He who does and thinks no wrong — 

He who suffers, being strong — 

He whose harmlessness men know — 

Unto Heaven such doth go.’ 

“At length he won the old Vulture’s confi- 
dence, and went with him into the hollow 
tree and lived there. And day after day he 
stole some of the nestlings, and devoured 
them. 

“The parent birds missed their young ones 
and sought everywhere for them, and the 
Cat soon saw that he would have to leave, so 
he slipped away from the hollow, and 
escaped. 

“A little later the birds found the bones of 
the nestlings in the dwelling-place of the 
Vulture, and of course concluded that it was 
he whom they had helped who had so basely 
rewarded them. So they called a meeting 
of all the birds of the forest, told them what 


94 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

had happened, and the poor old Vulture 
was sentenced to death, and accordingly was 
executed.” 

“Now you have my story,” said Sharp- 
sense, the Crow, “and this is why I warn 
you not to become friendly with people about 
whom you know nothing.” 

Then said the Jackal, “When you first 
met the Deer neither of you knew anything 
about the other; how is it, then, that you 
are such friends now? I know I am only 
Small-wit, the Jackal, but the Deer is my 
friend, and I hope you will be also.” 

“Don’t let us talk so much,” said the 
Deer, “let us all be friends and live happily 
together.” 

“All right,” said Sharp-sense, “just as you 
say.” 

In the morning each of them started early 
for his own feeding-ground, returning in the 
evening, as was their custom. One day the 
Jackal said to the Deer, “Come with me, 
and I will show you where there is a field 
full of sweet young wheat.” 

The Deer went with him, and he certainly 
enjoyed the feast which he found ready. But 


JACKAL, DEER, AND CROW 95 

the owner of the field saw him, set a snare, 
and the next day the Deer was caught in it. 

Very soon Small-wit (who had been 
watching all the time) came along, and 
said to himself, “Oho! my scheme worked 
well. The Deer will furnish me with some 
very fine meals.” 

Just then the Deer saw him and called 
out, “Friend, please gnaw the strings and 
set me free.” 

But Small-wit only walked around the 
snare, examining it carefully. “It certainly 
will hold,’ said he to himself. 

To the Deer he said, “These strings are 
very strong, and this is a fast day for me, 
so I cannot bite them. To-morow I will do 
what I can for you.” With this he went 
away. 

Very soon the Crow, who had been look- 
ing for his friend, came along, and seeing 
his sorry plight, asked him how this all 
happened. 

The Deer replied that this came through 
disregarding the advice of a friend. 

“Where is that rascally Jackal,” asked the 
Crow. 


96 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

“He is waiting somewhere to taste my 
flesh,” answered the Deer. 

With a deep sigh the Crow exclaimed, 
“You smooth-tongued, traitor Jackal, what 
an ill deed you have done!” 

The Crow stayed through the night with 
his poor friend, trying to think of some 
way to free him, and at last he hit upon a 
plan which proved to be successful. 

Early in the morning the master of the 
field, carrying a club in his hand, came to 
see if the snare had caught the Deer. Sharp- 
sense, as soon as he saw him approaching, 
said to his friend, “Look as though you were 
dead; stiffen out your legs and lie very still. 
I will make believe that I am pecking your 
eyes out. When I utter a loud croak you 
jump up quickly and run away as fast as you 
can.” 

The Deer did as he was told, and when 
the farmer reached the snare, with the Deer 
in it quite dead, as he thought, he pulled up 
the net, and so released the captive. Then 
the Crow uttered a loud croak; up sprang 
the Deer and made off. 

The husbandman was in a great rage at 


JACKAL, DEER, AND CROW 97 

thus being outwitted, and threw his club 
at the fleeing Deer with all his might. But 
instead of hitting the Deer, it struck Small- 
wit, the Jackal, who was hiding close by, 
and killed him. 


PIGEON-KING AND MOUSE-KING 


A FOWLER, seeking to snare some birds, set 
a trap with which he might catch them. He 
fixed a net, scattered grains of rice about, 
and then hid himself in a place where he 
could watch. 

Very soon “Speckle-neck,” King of the 
Pigeons, accompanied by his followers, flew 
that way. Of course he saw the rice-grains, 
and thought it very unusual that they should 
be lying on the ground in so lonely a spot 
as this was. He did not like the look of it, 
and so decided to take counsel with his fol- 
lowers before permitting them to eat the rice. 

They were all hungry, and the younger 
ones did not wish to wait while the older 
and wiser pigeons took counsel together, but 
this they had to do. At length one of them 
laughed at the others, and taunted them with 
being afraid without any reason, and dared 
them to at once eat the rice which they all 

98 


PIGEON AND MOUSE 99 

wanted. At this they all settled on the 
ground, and soon were caught in the net. 

They then began to abuse the pigeon who 
had dared them, saying that it was through 
him they were all caught. But King Spreckle- 
neck said they were all to blame, and the 
thing to do now was to find some way of 
escape, and not to waste precious time by 
quarreling. He thought carefully for a few 
moments, and then said. 

“Many small things added together make 
a large one. Let us all rise under the net 
at the same instant and between us we will 
fly off with it.” 

They decided to try this means of escape, 
and it happened just as the King said. They 
rose together, and flew away with the net. 
The fowler, who had hidden himself at 
some distance, saw the pigeons flying away 
with his net and hastened to stop them, but 
was too late, and soon they were out of sight. 

The pigeons, seeing that they were safely 
away from the fowler, asked the King what 
they should do next. 

Speckle-neck said, “A friend of mine 
named ‘Golden-skin,’ King of the Mice, 


ioo THE JADE STORY BOOK 

lives near by. We will go to him, and he 
will cut these bonds.” They accordingly 
directed their flight to the hole of Golden- 
skin. 

They soon arrived at the home of the 
Mouse-king, and Speckle-neck called to his 
friend to come out. Golden-skin came to 
the entrance, and told his friend how pleased 
he was to see him. “But what does this 
mean?” he exclaimed, looking at the pigeons 
all tangled up in the net. 

Speckle-neck told him what had happened 
to them, and without a word the Mouse-king 
began to gnaw at the strings which held his 
friend. But the worthy Pigeon-king bade 
him to release the others first, and leave him 
until the last. 

To this Golden-skin objected, but King 
Spreckle-neck said that he could not bear to 
see those who depended upon him in such 
distress. Such heroism made the Mouse- 
king’s fur bristle up for pure pleasure. 

“Nobly spoken!” said he. “Such tenderness 
for those who are dependent upon you makes 
me proud to be your friend.” With this, he 


PIGEON AND MOUSE ioi 

set himself to the great task of cutting all 
their bonds, and in time all were free. 

The Mouse-king then entertained them as 
hospitably as he could. The Pigeon-king 
and his followers thanked him for his great 
kindness, and Golden-skin embraced them 
all, after which he returned to his hole and 
the pigeons departed. 

You may be sure that the young pigeons 
decided that the older ones were wiser in 
counsel than they, and to be more careful 
when “daring” their fellows. 


HE WISHED TO LIVE FOREVER 


A LONG time ago there lived in Japan a 
man named Opulo who was quite rich. 
There was really nothing about which he 
need worry, but one day the thought came 
to him that he might fall sick and die. 
Probably the only reason for this was be- 
cause he didn’t have to earn his living, and 
so had very little to occupy his time. 

“It seems to me,” said he to himself, “that 
a man ought to live a much longer life than 
he does. I am very comfortable here, with 
all I want to eat and drink, and plenty of 
money to spend, so why should I not enjoy 
life for hundreds of years without sickness 
or worry?” 

He had heard of men in times gone by 
who had lived as long as that, and recalled 
the story of a certain Princess who had 
reached the age of five hundred years. Then 
he thought of that powerful Chinese King, 
102 


WISHED TO LIVE FOREVER 103 

Shiko, who built the great wall of China 
and many wonderful palaces, but who, in 
spite of his greatness and the luxury in 
which he lived, was never happy because 
he knew that some time he must die and 
give it all up. 

This great ruler had heard that in a 
country called Horazai, far away across the 
seas, there lived certain hermits who pos- 
sessed the secret of the “Draught of Life,” 
and that whoever should drink of this won- 
derful elixir would never die. So he ordered 
Jofuku, a courtier in whom he placed great 
confidence, to set out for the land of Hora- 
zai, and to bring back with him a phial of 
this magic fluid. 

The Emperor had his finest junk made 
ready for a long voyage, and loaded it with 
rich gifts for the hermits. The courtier sailed 
away, but was never heard of again. Mount 
Fuji was supposed to be Horazai, and ever 
since then Jofuku has been worshipped as 
their god. 

The story of the Emperor Shiko made 
such an impression on Opulo that he made 
up his mind to seek the hermits who held 


io 4 THE JADE STORY BOOR 

the secret of this marvelous water of life, 
and if possible to become one of them; so 
he started out on his quest. 

He traveled, and traveled, climbing to 
the peaks of the highest mountains, and wan- 
dering through unknown regions, but meet- 
ing with no success. 

At last it seemed to him that he was wast- 
ing time, so he decided to go straight to the 
shrine of Jofuku, to whom he would pray for 
assistance in his search. 

He went to the temple devoted to this 
deity, and every day for a month he knelt 
there, and made his entreaty. 

At the end of this time, while kneeling be- 
fore the shrine, he was suddenly enveloped 
in a cloud, and when this cleared away he 
saw Jofuku himself standing before him. 

Opulo bowed his head to the ground, and 
Jofuku said to him, “Your request is selfish 
and therefore hard to grant. You imagine 
that you would like to become a hermit such 
as those you seek, and so partake of the 
Elixir of Life. A hermit’s life is a hard 
one and not suited to an idle man who is 
used to enjoy every possible comfort. To 


WISHED TO LIVE FOREVER 105 

be a hermit one must obey strict rules; he 
must eat only fruit and berries, and cut him- 
self off from the ways of the world, so that 
he may become pure and free from unworthy 
desire. 

“You, Opulo, have always been a lazy 
man, and have been too fond of good living. 
Do you think you could go barefoot and 
wear only one thin dress during the cold of 
winter? No, the life of a hermit is not for 
you! 

“Rut there is something else I will do for 
you, and that is to send you to the Island of 
Continual Life, where death is unknown.” 

Then Jofuku gave Opulo a small bird 
made of paper, and told him to sit upon it. 

This the wondering Opulo did, and the 
bird began to grow. Soon it was large 
enough for him to ride on comfortably. 
With wings outspread it rose high up in 
the air, and away it flew. 

The flight through the air was swift; 
on and on they went for hundreds and hun- 
dreds of miles without a stop, until at last 
they came to an island, and there the bird 
alighted. 


io6 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

Opulo stepped to the ground and the bird 
grew smaller and smaller. At last it became 
the same size as when Jofuku gave it to him, 
so he folded it up and put it in his pocket. 

He walked on until he came to a town, 
where he found a place to lodge. Every- 
thing, of course, was strange to him; the 
streets and buildings were different from 
what he had been used to, and all the people 
looked prosperous. 

Opulo told the owner of the house in 
which he obtained lodgings that he intended 
to live there permanently, so the worthy 
man kindly promised to help him all he 
could. He found a suitable house for him, 
and servants to attend to his comfort, so 
Opulo took up his residence in the land 
of Continual Life. 

It was a strange country indeed in which 
he now lived. No one ever died there, nor 
even became sick, so doctors were unknown. 
But the people were not happy and con- 
tented; they had heard of a place called 
Paradise, but it was only a legend to them. 
They knew that one could not reach this 
wonderful land without dying, and death 


WISHED TO LIVE FOREVER 107 

was something they longed for, but which 
never came to them. 

Ordinary people have a dread of death, 
but these were very different, for they looked 
upon it as something very much to be de- 
sired. How they wished it could come to 
them, so that they could enter the happy 
land of Paradise! 

To Opulo everything seemed to be upside 
down. He had come here hoping to live 
forever, and found the inhabitants wishing 
more than anything else that they could die. 
They had tried everything they could think 
of to bring this about, but without success. 
No one could even make himself ill, try as 
hard as he might; he couldn’t even raise a 
corn on his toe. 

But Opulo was happy, for he had found 
what he sought. He assured himself that 
he would never tire of living, and was the 
only contented man on the island. 

He changed from his former mode of 
living, and instead of doing nothing, he set 
himself up in business. And now that he 
had something to do, time passed very 
quickly. 


108 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

Strange to say, after having lived there for 
two hundred years life began to be somewhat 
dull and monotonous. He wanted a change, 
for it was the same thing day after day, and 
year after year. He began to think that per- 
haps the other people were not so foolish 
when they wanted to die! 

It would be fine if he could see his own 
country again; things would never be any dif- 
ferent where he was now, and how weari- 
some it was getting to be! 

Now he wanted to die, but couldn’t, and 
it was no use trying to. 

One day he happened to think that his 
prayers to Jofuku had resulted in bringing 
him to this country. He would pray to 
Jofuku to take him away from it. Why did 
he not think of this before? 

So he prayed, and to his surprise the paper 
bird came into his hand. It grew and grew 
as it had done before in the temple of Jo- 
fuku, and soon it was large enough for him 
to mount. It spread its wings, and they went 
flying through the air. 

On and on they flew, stopping neither for 
rest nor food, and at length they reached the 


WISHED TO LIVE FOREVER 109 

Japan Sea. Then he suddenly thought of 
the valuable business he had left behind. 
Why hadn’t he sold it, and taken the pro- 
ceeds with him? 

As soon as this thought came to him a 
storm came on. It rained hard, and of 
course the paper bird became wet, and being 
paper, it crumpled up and fell into the sea. 

Now he was in danger of being drowned, 
and he was afraid. Not long ago he would 
have welcomed death. He called aloud to 
Jofuku to save him, but there was no reply. 

He swam and swam, doing his best to 
keep from sinking. Then right in front of 
him he saw a huge fish, its mouth wide open, 
ready to devour him. 

In his fright he screamed so loudly for 
Jofuku to save him that he awakened him- 
self. For, behold, he had fallen asleep dur- 
ing his long prayers before the shrine, and 
all of this had come to him in a dream. 

Then he heard a voice, and before him 
stood a messenger, who said: 

“As you have prayed, so has Jofuku per- 
mitted you in a dream to see the land of 
Continual Life. You were not contented 


IIO THE JADE STORY BOOK 

there and wished to return to your own coun- 
try that you might die. And even your 
desire for death was not real, for when the 
fish was there to swallow you, you called on 
Jofuku to save you. There is only one thing 
for you to do; return to your home and 
live an industrious life, be helpful to your- 
self and to others, and thus will you be happy 
and live to a good old age. And be sure that 
any selfish desire you may have, even if it 
be granted, will never bring you happiness.” 


X 


THE CRANE AND THE CRAB 

There was a small lake in Malwa called 
Lily- Water, and on its bank one day stood 
a Crane who seemed to be lost in thought. 

It was the dry season and the water was 
low in the pond, in which were a good many 
fish. Now the Crane was very fond of fish, 
and he was trying to figure out a plan 
whereby he could satisfy his appetite. 

At last he went to the water’s edge, and 
there he sat down. He assumed a most de- 
jected look, and appeared to be so miserable 
that a Crab, who had been watching him, 
asked him why he was so down-hearted. 

“It is because I am thinking of all who 
live in this pond that I am so sad,” said the 
Crane. 

“Why should that be the reason?” asked 
the Crab. 

“I will tell you,” said the Crane. “This 
morning I heard the fishermen who live 

in 


1 12 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

near here say that they meant to catch every 
fish that swims in this water. Now I love 
a dish of fish myself, and the few that I 
should take would make but little difference 
among so many. And although if the fish in 
this pond are all captured there would be 
none left for me to subsist upon, it breaks 
my heart to think of the fate that is in store 
for them. Therefore am I so sad.” 

Now some of the fishes overheard what 
the Crane said to the Crab, and they at 
once called a general meeting. One of 
them said: “In this case the Crane’s inter- 
ests are the same as ours, because, while we 
furnish the food which keeps him alive 
there are many of us left, but when the 
fishermen capture us we shall die. Let us 
therefore confer with the Crane.” 

This they decided to do, and so they went 
to him in a body. 

“Good Crane,” they said, “what course is 
there for safety?” 

“The only thing to do is to go elsewhere,” 
said the Crane. “This can easily be done, 
for if you wish I will carry you one by one 
to another pool.” 


THE CRANE AND THE CRAB 113 

This the trembling fishes begged him to 
do, that is, all but one of them, who said: 

“It is most unusual that a crane should 
take any thought for fishes, and I think that 
you mean to eat us, one by one.” 

“That I do not,” said the Crane. “If you 
do not believe what I say, send one of your 
number with me, and he shall come back and 
tell you that I am to be trusted.” 

They thought this was all right, and so 
selected their sharpest fish, one whom they 
considered could not be outwitted, and 
handed him over to the Crane. 

The Crane took him in his bill and let 
him go in the other pool, and he showed the 
fish all over it. Then he carried him back 
to the others who were entirely satisfied, and 
said they were ready to go with him. 

Then the Crane took them, one after an- 
other, and having eaten them, returned to 
report that he had safely deposited each in 
the pond. 

At last only the Crab was left, and he 
asked to be taken, too. Now the Crane 
coveted the tender flesh of the Crab, and 
perhaps the latter saw a greedy look in his 


1 1 4 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

eyes. At any rate, when the Crane went to 
take hold of him with his beak, he said: 
“You cannot carry me like that, for I should 
certainly fall.” 

The Crane told him not to fear, that he 
would be perfectly safe. But the Crab 
thought to himself: “If he once got hold 
of a fish, I doubt very much if he would 
really let it go into the pond. He shall carry 
me, but in such a way that I shall be safe.” 
So he said: 

“Friend Crane, you cannot hold me tight 
enough in your bill, so I will hold on to 
you with my claws, and you can carry me 
that way.” 

The Crane thought that would be all right, 
and so the other held on to his neck with 
his claws, and off they went. 

They soon reached the spot where the 
Crane had eaten the fish, and the Crab saw 
that it was covered with fishbones. 

“This is not the pond,” said the Crab; 
“please take me to it at once.” 

“You will never see another pond,” replied 
the Crane, who thought that it would be 
the easiest thing in the world to shake the 


THE CRANE AND THE CRAB 115 

Crab from his neck. “I am now going to 
eat you, just as I have eaten every one of 
the fish, whose bones you can see if you 
look.” 

“Do you think I am as stupid as those 
fish?” asked the Crab. Then he gave the 
Crane’s neck such a squeeze with his claws 
that the Crane almost died. 

“That is just to remind you of what will 
happen if you don’t take me to the pond at 
once,” said the Crab. 

The Crane now trembled with fear, and 
flew at once to the edge of the pond, and 
there, before entering the water the Crab 
tightened his grip so that the Crane’s neck 
was cut clear through. 


THE LION AND THE HARE 

In a large forest there lived a Lion who 
was very fierce. Such terror did he inspire 
among the other animals of the jungle, and 
so many of them did he kill for his daily 
food, that they held a public meeting to see 
what could be done about it. 

After much parleying they drew up a 
respectful petition to the Lion in these 
words : 

“Your Majesty, why do you thus create 
havoc among us? If it please you, we will 
ourselves furnish you daily with a beast for 
your Majesty’s meal.” 

This petition they duly presented to the 
Lion, who said: “If this arrangement is 
more agreeable to you, I will be satisfied.” 
So, from that time a beast was allotted to 
him each day, they casting lots among them- 
selves to see who should be selected. 

Thus it became the turn of a wily old 
116 


THE LION AND THE HARE 117 

Hare to supply the royal table, and as he 
walked slowly along to keep his appoint- 
ment he said to himself, “If I have to die 
I will take my time, and will go to my death 
as leisurely as possible.” 

Now that day the Lion was very hungry, 
and he became very angry at being kept 
waiting for his meal, so when he saw the 
Hare walking along as though he had all 
day to spare he roared at him, “How dare 
you so delay your coming?” 

“Sire,” replied the Hare, “It is not my 
fault that I am late. On the way here I was 
detained by another lion, who made me 
promise to return to him when I shall have 
told your Majesty that he awaits you.” 

Of course, such insolence on the part of 
another lion made this one more angry than 
before, as the old Hare had intended it 
should, and he exclaimed in a rage, “Show 
me instantly where this impertinent villain 
of a lion lives.” 

Then the Hare led the way until he came 
to a deep well, when he stopped and said, 
“Now, my Lord, come here and see him.” 

So the Lion approached, and saw his own 


1 18 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

reflection in the water. Thinking that he 
was looking at the other lion, he flung him- 
self furiously upon his own image, and so 
was drowned. You may be sure the old 
Hare lost no time in spreading the news of 
their enemy’s end to his friends of the jungle. 


THE STORY OF CALIPH STORK 


I. 

Caliph Chasid, of Bagdad, was resting 
comfortably on his divan one fine afternoon. 
He was smoking a long pipe, and from time 
to time he sipped a little coffee which a 
slave handed to him, and after each sip he 
stroked his long beard with an air of enjoy- 
ment. In short, anyone could see that the 
Caliph was in an excellent humor. This 
was, in fact, the best time of day in which 
to approach him, for just now he was pretty 
sure to be both affable and in good spirits, 
and for this reason the Grand Vizier Mansor 
always chose this hour in which to pay his 
daily visit 

He arrived as usual this afternoon, but, 
contrary to his usual custom, with an anxious 
face. The Caliph withdrew his pipe for a 
moment from his lips and asked, “Why do 
you look so anxious, Grand Vizier?” 

The Grand Vizier crossed his arms on his 


1*9 


120 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

breast and bent low before his master as he 
answered: 

“Oh, my lord! Whether my countenance 
be anxious or not I know not, but down 
below in the court of the palace is a pedler 
with such beautiful things that I cannot help 
feeling annoyed at having so little money 
to spare.” 

The Caliph, who had wished for some 
time past to give his Grand Vizier a present, 
ordered his black slave to bring the pedler 
before him at once. The slave soon returned, 
followed by the pedler, a short, stout man 
with a swarthy face, and dressed in very 
ragged clothes. He carried a box contain- 
ing all manner of wares — strings of pearls, 
rings, richly mounted pistols, goblets, and 
combs. The Caliph and his Vizier inspected 
everything, and the Caliph chose some hand- 
some pistols for himself and Mansor, and a 
jeweled comb for the Vizier’s wife. Just 
as the pedler was about to close his box, the 
Caliph noticed a small drawer, and asked if 
there was anything else in it for sale. The 
pedler opened the drawer and showed them 
a box containing a black powder, and a 


STORY OF CALIPH STORK 121 


scroll written in strange characters, which 
neither the Caliph nor Mansor could read. 

“I got these two articles from a merchant 
who had picked them up in the street at 
Mecca,” said the pedler. “I do not know 
what they may contain, but as they are of 
no use to me, you are welcome to have them 
for a trifle.” 

The Caliph, who liked to have old manu- 
scripts in his library, even though he could 
not read them, purchased the scroll and the 
box, and dismissed the pedler. Then, being 
anxious to know what might be the contents 
of the scroll, he asked the Vizier if he did 
not know of anyone who might be able to 
decipher it. 

“Most gracious lord and master,” replied 
the Vizier, “near the great Mosque lives a 
man called Selim the learned, who knows 
every language under the sun. Send for 
him; it may be that he will be able to inter- 
pret those mysterious characters.” 

The learned Selim was summoned imme- 
diately. 

“Selim,” said the Caliph, “I hear you are 
a scholar. Look well at this scroll and see 


122 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

whether you can read it. If you can, I will 
give you a robe of honor; but if you fail, 
I will order you to receive twelve strokes on 
your cheeks, and five- and- twenty on the soles 
of your feet, because you have been falsely 
called Selim the learned.” 

Selim prostrated himself and said, “Be it 
according to your will, oh master!” Then 
he gazed long at the scroll. Suddenly he 
exclaimed: “May I die, oh, my Lord, if 
this isn’t Latin!” 

“Well,” said the Caliph, “if it is Latin, let 
us hear what it means.” 

So Selim began to translate: “Thou who 
mayest find this, praise Allah for his mercy. 
Whoever shall snuff the powder in this box, 
and at the same time pronounce the word 
‘MutaborP can transform himself into any 
creature he likes, and will understand the 
language of all animals. When he wishes to 
resume the human form, he has only to 
look three times toward the east, and to 
repeat the same word. Be careful, however, 
when wearing the shape of some beast or 
bird, not to laugh, or thou wilt certainly 


STORY OF CALIPH STORK 123 

forget the magic word and remain an animal 
forever.” 

When Selim the learned had read this the 
Caliph was delighted. He made the wise 
man swear not to tell the matter to anyone, 
gave him a splendid robe, and dismissed 
him. Then he said to the Vizier, “That’s 
what I call a good bargain, Mansor. I am 
longing for the moment when I can become 
some animal. To-morrow morning I shall 
expect you early; we will go into the coun- 
try, take some snuff from my box, and then 
hear what is being said in air, earth, and 
water.” 

II. 

Next morning Caliph Chasid had barely 
finished dressing and breakfasting when the 
Grand Vizier arrived, according to orders, 
to accompany him on his expedition. The 
Caliph stuck the snuff-box in his girdle, and, 
having desired his servants to remain at 
home, started off with the Grand Vizier only 
in attendance. First they walked through 
the palace gardens, but they looked in vain 
for some creature which would tempt them 


124 THE jade story book 

to try their magic power. At length the 
Vizier suggested going further on to a pond 
which lay beyond the town, and where he 
had often seen a variety of creatures, espe- 
cially storks, whose grave, dignified appear- 
ance and constant chatter had often attracted 
his attention. 

The Caliph consented, and they went 
straight to the pond. As soon as they ar- 
rived they remarked a stork strutting up and 
down with a stately air, hunting for frogs, 
and now and then muttering something to 
itself. At the same time they saw another 
stork far above in the sky flying toward the 
same spot. 

“I would wager my beard, most gracious 
master,” said the Grand Vizier, “that these 
two long-legs will have a good chat together. 
How would it be if we turned ourselves into 
storks?” 

“Well said,” replied the Caliph; “but 
first let us remember carefully how we are 
to become men once more. Bow three times 
toward the east and say ‘MutaborP and I 
shall be Caliph and you my Grand Vizier 


STORY OF CALIPH STORK 125 

again. But for Heaven’s sake don’t laugh 
or we are lost.” 

As the Caliph spoke he saw the second 
stork circling round his head and gradually 
flying towards the earth. Quickly he drew 
the box from his girdle, took a good pinch 
of the snuff, and offered one to Mansor, who 
also took one, and both cried together 
“Mutabor!” 

Instantly their legs shriveled up and grew 
thin and red; their smart yellow slippers 
turned to clumsy stork’s feet. Their arms 
to wings; their necks began to sprout from 
between their shoulders and grew a yard 
long; their beards disappeared, and their 
bodies were covered with feathers. 

“You’ve got a fine long bill, Sir Vizier,” 
cried the Caliph, after standing for some 
time lost in astonishment. “By the beard 
of the Prophet I never saw such a thing in all 
my life!” 

“My very humble thanks,” replied the 
Grand Vizier, as he bent his long neck; 
“but if I may venture to say so, your High- 
ness is even handsomer as a stork than as a 
Caliph. But come, if it so pleases you, let 


126 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

us go near our comrades there and find out 
whether we really do understand the lan- 
guage of storks.” 

Meantime the second stork had reached 
the ground. It first scraped its bill with its 
claw, stroked down its feathers, and then 
advanced towards the first stork. The two 
newly made storks lost no time in drawing 
near, and to their amazement overheard the 
following conversation: 

“Good-morning, Dame Longlegs. You 
are out early this morning!” 

“Yes, indeed, dear Chatterbill! I am get- 
ting myself a morsel of breakfast. May I 
offer you a joint of lizard or a frog’s thigh?” 

“A thousand thanks, but I have really no 
appetite this morning. I am here for a very 
different purpose. I am to dance to-day 
before my father’s guests, and I have come 
to the meadow for a little quiet practice.” 

Thereupon the young stork began to move 
about with the most wonderful steps. The Ca- 
liph and Mansor looked on with surprise for 
some time; but when at last she balanced her- 
self in a picturesque attitude on one leg, and 
flapped her wings gracefully up and down, 


STORY OF CALIPH STORK 127 

they could hold out no longer; a prolonged 
peal burst from each of their bills, and it 
was some time before they could recover 
their composure. The Caliph was the first 
to collect himself. “That was the best joke,” 
said he, “I’ve ever seen. It’s a pity the 
stupid creatures were scared away by our 
laughter, or no doubt they would have sung 
next!” 

Suddenly, however, the Vizier remem- 
bered how strictly they had been warned not 
to laugh during their transformation. He 
at once communicated his fears to the Caliph, 
who exclaimed, “By Mecca and Medina! 
It would indeed prove but a poor joke if I 
had to remain a stork for the remainder of 
my days! Do just try and remember the 
stupid word, for it has slipped my memory.” 

“We must bow three times eastwards and 
say ‘Mu — mu — mu ’ ” 

They turned to the east and fell to bowing 
till their bills touched the ground, but, oh, 
horror — the magic word was quite forgotten, 
and however often the Caliph bowed and 
however touchingly his Vizier cried “Mu — 
mu ” they could not recall it, and the 


128 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

unhappy Chasid and Mansor remained 
storks as they were. 

III. 

The two enchanted birds wandered sadly 
on through the meadows. In their misery 
they could not think what to do next. They 
could not rid themselves of their new forms; 
there was no use in returning to the town 
and saying who they were; for who would 
believe a stork who announced that he was 
a Caliph; and even if they did believe him, 
would the people of Bagdad consent to let 
a stork rule over them? 

So they lounged about for several days, 
supporting themselves on fruits, which, how- 
ever, they found some difficulty in eating with 
their long bills. They did not much care 
to eat frogs or lizards. Their one comfort 
in their sad plight was the power of flying, 
and accordingly they often flew over the 
roofs of Bagdad to see what was going on 
there. 

During the first few days they noticed 
signs of much disturbance and distress in the 
streets, but about the fourth day, as they sat 


STORY OF CALIPH STORK 129 

on the roof of the palace, they perceived a 
splendid procession passing below them 
along the street. Drums and trumpets 
sounded; a man in a scarlet mantle, embroi- 
dered in gold, sat on a splendidly caparisoned 
horse surrounded by richly dressed slaves; 
half Bagdad crowded after him, and they all 
shouted, “Hail, Mirza, the Lord of 
Bagdad!” 

The two storks on the palace roof looked 
at each other, and the Caliph Chasid said, 
“Can you guess now, Grand Vizier, why I 
have been enchanted? This Mirza is the 
son of my deadly enemy, the mighty magi- 
cian Kaschnur, who in an evil moment vowed 
vengeance on me. Still I will not despair! 
Come with me, my faithful friend; we will 
go to the grave of the Prophet, and perhaps 
at that sacred spot the spell may be loosed.” 

They rose from the palace roof, and spread 
their wings toward Medina. 

But flying was not an easy matter, for the 
two storks had had but little practice as yet. 

“Oh, my Lord!” gasped the Vizier, after 
a couple of hours, “I can go on no longer; 
you really fly too quick for me. Besides, it 


1 3 o THE JADE STORY BOOK 

is nearly evening, and we shall do well to 
find some place in which to spend the night.” 

Chasid listened with favor to his servant’s 
suggestion, and perceiving in the valley be- 
neath them a ruin which seemed to promise 
shelter, they flew toward it. The building 
in which they proposed to pass the night 
had apparently been formerly a castle. Some 
handsome pillars still stood amongst the 
heaps of ruins, and several rooms, which yet 
remained in fair preservation, gave evidence 
of former splendor. Chasid and his com- 
panion wandered along the passages seeking 
a dry spot, when suddenly Mansor stood 
still. 

“My lord and master,” he whispered, “if 
it were not absurd for a Grand Vizier, and 
still more for a stork, to be afraid of ghosts, 
I should feel quite nervous, for someone, 
or something close by me, has sighed and 
moaned quite audibly.” 

The Caliph stood still and distinctly heard 
a low weeping sound, which seemed to pro- 
ceed from a human being rather than from 
any animal. Full of curiosity, he was about 
to rush toward the spot from which the sounds 


STORY OF CALIPH STORK 131 

of woe came, when the Vizier caught him 
by the wing with his bill, and implored him 
not to expose himself to fresh and unknown 
dangers. The Caliph, however, under whose 
stork’s breast a brave heart beat, tore himself 
away with the loss of a few feathers, and hur- 
ried down a dark passage. He saw a door 
which stood ajar, and through which he dis- 
tinctly heard sighs, mingled with sobs. He 
pushed open the door with his bill, but re- 
mained on the threshold, astonished at the 
sight which met his eyes. On the floor of 
the ruined chamber — which was but scantily 
lighted by a small barred window — sat a large 
screech owl. Big tears rolled from its large, 
round eyes, and in a hoarse voice it uttered 
its complaints through its crooked beak. As 
soon as it saw the Caliph and his Vizier — 
who had crept up meanwhile — it gave vent 
to a joyful cry. It gently wiped the tears 
from its eyes with its spotted brown wings, 
and to the great amazement of the two visitors, 
addressed them in good human Arabic. 

“Welcome, ye storks! You are a good 
sign of my deliverance, for it was foretold 


132 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

me that a piece of good fortune should befall 
me through a stork.” 

When Caliph had recovered from his 
surprise, he drew up his feet into a grace- 
ful position, bent his long neck, and said: 
“O,* screech owl! From your words I am 
led to believe that we see in you a companion 
in misfortune. But, alas! Your hope that 
you may attain your deliverance through us 
is but a vain one. You will know our help- 
lessness when you have heard our story.” 

The screech owl begged him to relate it, 
and the Caliph accordingly told him what 
we already know. 


IV. 

When the Caliph had ended, the owl 
thanked him and said: “You must hear my 
story, and own that I am no less unfortunate 
than yourselves. My father is the King of 
the Indies. I, his only daughter, am named 
Lusa. That magician, Kaschnur, who en- 
chanted you, has been the cause of my mis- 
fortunes, too. He came one day to my father 
and demanded my hand for his son Mirza. 


STORY OF CALIPH STORK 133 

My father — who is rather hasty — ordered 
him to be thrown downstairs. The wretch 
not long after managed to approach me 
under another form; one day when I was in 
the garden I asked for some refreshment, 
and he brought me — in the disguise of a 
slave — a draught which changed me at once 
to this horrid shape. Whilst I was fainting 
with terror he transported me here, and 
cried to me with his awful voice: ‘There 
shall you remain, lonely and hideous, de- 
spised even by the brutes, till the end of your 
days, or till someone of his own free will 
asks you to be his wife. Thus do I avenge 
myself on you and your proud father.’ 

“Since then many months have passed 
away. Sad and lonely do I live like any 
hermit within these walls, avoided by the 
world and a terror even to animals; the 
beauties of nature are hidden from me, for 
I am blind by day, and it is only when the 
moon sheds her pale light on this spot that 
the veil falls from my eyes and I can see.” 
The owl paused, and once more wiped her 
eyes with her wing, for the recital of her 
woes had drawn fresh tears from her. 


i 3 4 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

The Caliph fell into deep thought on 
hearing this story of the Princess. “If I 
am not much mistaken,” said he, “there is 
some mysterious connection between our mis- 
fortunes, but how to find the key to the rid- 
dle is the question.” 

The owl answered: “Oh, my Lord! I 
too feel sure of this, for in my earliest youth 
a wise woman foretold that a stork would 
bring me some great happiness, and I think 
I could tell you how we might save our- 
selves.” The Caliph was much surprised, 
and asked her what she meant. 

“The magician who has made us both mis- 
erable,” said she, “comes once a month to 
these ruins. Not far from this room is a 
large hall where he is in the habit of feasting 
with his companions. I have often watched 
them. They tell each other all about their 
evil deeds, and possibly the magic word 
which you have forgotten may be men- 
tioned.” 

“Oh, dearest Princess!” exclaimed the 
Caliph. “Say, when does he come, and 
where is the hall?” 

The owl paused a moment and then said: 


STORY OF CALIPH STORK 135 

“Do not think me unkind, but I can only 
grant your request on one condition.” 

“Speak, speak!” cried Chasid; “command, 
I will gladly do whatever you wish!” 

“Well,” replied the owl, “you see I should 
like to be free too; but this can only be if 
one of you will offer me his hand in marriage.” 

The storks seemed rather taken back by this 
suggestion, and the Caliph beckoned to his 
Vizier to retire and consult with him. 

When they were outside the door the Caliph 
said: “Grand Vizier, this is a tiresome busi- 
ness. However, you can take her.” 

“Indeed!” said the Vizier; “so that when 
I go home my wife may scratch my eyes out! 
Besides, I am an old man, and your Highness 
is still young and unmarried, and a far more 
suitable match for a young and lovely prin- 
cess.” 

“That’s just where it is,” sighed the Caliph, 
whose wings drooped in a dejected manner; 
“how do I know she is young and lovely? I 
call it buying a pig in a poke.” 

They argued on for some time, but at length, 
when the Caliph saw plainly that his Vizier 


136 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

would rather remain a stork to the end of his 
days than marry the owl, he determined to 
fulfill the condition himself. The owl was 
delighted. She owned that they could not 
have arrived at a better time, as most prob- 
ably the magicians would meet that very 
night. 

She then proceeded to lead the two storks 
to the chamber. They passed through a 
long dark passage till at length a bright 
ray of light shone before them through the 
chinks of a half-ruined wall. When they 
reached it the owl advised them to keep very 
quiet. Through the gap near which they 
stood they could with ease survey the whole 
of the large hall. It was adorned with 
splendid carved pillars; a number of col- 
ored lamps replaced the light of day. In 
the middle of the hall stood a round table 
covered with a variety of dishes, and about 
the table was a divan on which eight men 
were seated. In one of these bad men the 
two recognized the pedler who had sold 
the magic powder. The man next him 
begged him to relate all his latest doings, 


STORY OF CALIPH STORK 137 

and amongst them he told the story of the 
Caliph and his Vizier. 

“And what kind of word did you give 
them?” asked another old sorcerer. 

“A very difficult Latin word; it is 
‘Mutabor.’ 

V. 

As soon as the storks heard this 
they were nearly beside themselves with 
joy. They ran at such a pace to the door 
of the ruined castle that the owl could 
scarcely keep up with them. When they 
reached it the Caliph turned to the owl, 
and said with much feeling: “Deliverer of 
my friend and myself, as a proof of my 
eternal gratitude, accept me as your hus- 
band.” Then he turned towards the east. 
Three times the storks bowed their long 
necks to the sun, which was just rising over 
the mountains. “Mutabor!” they both cried, 
and in an instant they were once more 
transformed. In the rapture of their newly 
given lives master and servant fell laughing 
and weeping into each other’s arms. Who 


138 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

shall describe their surprise when they at 
last turned round and beheld standing be- 
fore them a beautiful lady exquisitely 
dressed! 

With a smile she held out her hand to 
the Caliph, and asked: “Do you not rec- 
ognize your screech owl?” 

It was she! The Caliph was so enchanted 
by her grace and beauty that he declared 
being turned into a stork had been the best 
piece of luck which had ever befallen him. 
The three set out at once for Bagdad. For- 
tunately, the Caliph found not only the box 
with the magic powder, but also his purse 
in his girdle; he was, therefore, able to buy 
in the nearest village all they required for 
their journey, and so at last they reached 
the gates of Bagdad. 

Here the Caliph’s arrival created the 
greatest sensation. Fie had been quite given 
up for dead, and the people were greatly 
rejoiced to see their beloved ruler again. 

Their rage with the usurper Mirza, how- 
ever, was great in proportion. They marched 
in force to the palace and took the old magi- 


STORY OF CALIPH STORK 139 

cian and his son prisoners. The Caliph sent 
the magician to the room where the princess 
had lived as an owl, and there had him 
hanged. As the son, however, knew nothing 
of his father’s acts, the Caliph gave him his 
choice between death and a pinch of the 
magic snuff. When he chose the latter the 
Grand Vizier handed him the box. One 
good pinch, and the magic word transformed 
him to a stork. The Caliph ordered him 
to be confined in an iron cage, and placed 
in the palace gardens. 

Caliph Chasid lived long and happily 
with his wife, the princess. His merriest 
time was when the Grand Vizier visited him 
in the afternoon; and when the Caliph was 
in particularly high spirits he would conde- 
scend to mimic the Vizier’s appearance when 
he was a stork. He would strut gravely, 
and with well-stiffened legs, up and down 
the room, chattering, and showing how he 
had vainly bowed to the east and cried 

“Mu — mu ” The Caliphess and her 

children were always much entertained by 
this performance; when the Caliph went on 


1 4 o THE JADE STORY BOOK 

nodding and bowing, and calling “Mu — ■ 

mu ” too long, the Vizier would threaten 

laughingly to tell the Caliphess the subject 
of the discussion carried on one night outside 
the door of Princess Screech Owl. 


PRINCE AHMED 


There was a sultan of India, who, after a 
long reign, had reached a good old age. He 
had three sons and one niece, the chief orna- 
ments of his court. The eldest son was 
called Houssain, the second Ali, the young- 
est Ahmed. The name of his niece, their 
cousin, was Nouronnihar. This niece, the 
daughter of a favorite brother who had died 
young, had been brought up in the palace 
from her childhood, and was remarkable for 
her wit and beauty. The sultan, on her ar- 
riving at the proper age, was consulting 
about a neighboring prince with whom she 
might form an alliance, when he found that 
all the three princes, his sons, loved their 
cousin, and wished to marry her. This dis- 
covery caused him great grief — not from 
any disappointment of his own plans for his 
niece, but from the discord which this mu- 
tual passion for their cousin would cause 
to his sons. 


141 


i 4 2 the jade story book 

He spoke to each of them apart, and 
showed the impossibility of one princess be- 
ing the wife of three brothers, and the 
troubles they would create if they persisted 
in their purpose. He did all he could to 
persuade them to abide by a declaration of 
the princess in favor of one of them; or 
that all should agree to resign their claims 
to her hand, that she might marry a stranger. 
But as he found them equally obstinate, he 
sent for them all together, and said, “My 
sons, since I have not been able to persuade 
you in this matter, and as I have no wish 
to use my authority to give the princess your 
cousin to one in preference of another, I have 
thought of a plan which will please you all, 
and preserve harmony among you, if you 
will but hear me and follow my advice. I 
think it would not be amiss if you were to 
travel separately into different countries, so 
that you might not meet each other; and I 
promise my niece in marriage to him who 
shall bring me the most extraordinary rarity. 
I will give each of you a sum suited to your 
rank, and for the purchase of the rarity you 
shall search after.” 


PRINCE AHMED 143 

The three princes cheerfully consented to 
this proposal, as each flattered himself for- 
tune might prove favorable to him, and give 
him possession of the Princes Nouronnihar. 
The sultan gave them the money he prom- 
ised, and issued orders for the preparations 
for their travels. Early next morning they 
all went out at the same gate of the city, 
each dressed like a merchant, attended by a 
trusty officer habited as a slave, and all well 
mounted and equipped. They proceeded 
the first day’s journey together; and at night 
when they were at supper, they agreed to 
travel for a twelvemonth, and that day a 
year later to meet again at the khan where 
they were stopping; so that as they had all 
three taken leave together of the sultan, 
they might return in company. The next 
morning by break of day, after they had 
embraced and wished each other good suc- 
cess, they mounted their horses and each took 
a different road. 

Prince Houssain, the eldest brother, who 
had heard of the extent, power, riches, and 
splendor of the kingdom of Bisnager, bent 
his course towards the Indian coast; and 


i 4 4 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

after three months’ travelling with different 
caravans, sometimes over deserts and barren 
mountains, and sometimes through populous 
and fertile countries, arrived at Bisnagar, 
the capital of the kingdom of that name, and 
the residence of its king. He lodged at a 
khan appointed for foreign merchants, and 
soon learned that there were four principal 
bazaars where merchants of all sorts kept 
their shops, on a large extent of ground, in 
the centre of the city. 

Prince Houssain went to one of these 
bazaars on the next day. It was large, 
divided into several vaulted avenues, and 
shaded from the sun, but yet very light. The 
shops were of the same size and proportion; 
and all who dealt in the same sort of goods 
lived in one avenue. 

The number of shops stocked with all 
kinds of merchandise — as the finest linens 
from several parts of India; silks and bro- 
cades from Persia; porcelain from Japan — - 
surprised him very much; but when he came 
to the shops of the goldsmiths and jewellers,* 
he was in a kind of ecstasy at beholding such 
quantities of wrought gold and silver, and 


PRINCE AHMED 


H5 

was dazzled by the lustre of the pearls, dia- 
monds, rubies, emeralds, and other precious 
stones exposed for sale. 

After Prince Houssain had passed through 
that quarter, street by street, a merchant, per- 
ceiving him go by much fatigued, invited 
him to sit down in front of his shop. He 
had not been seated long before a crier ap- 
peared, with a piece of carpet on his arm, 
about six feet square, and offered it at forty 
purses. The prince called to the crier, and 
when he had examined the carpet, told him 
that he could not comprehend how so small 
a piece of carpet, and of so indifferent an 
appearance, could be held at so high a price 
unless it had something very extraordinary 
in it which he knew nothing of. 

“You have guessed right, sir,” replied the 
crier; “whoever sits on this piece of carpet 
may be transported in an instant wherever 
he desires to be.” 

“If the carpet,” said he to the crier, “has 
the virtue you attribute to it, I shall not think 
forty purses too much.” 

“Sir,” replied the crier, “I have told you 
the truth, and with the leave of the master 


146 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

of this shop we will go into the back ware- 
house, where I will spread the carpet, and 
when we have both sat down, and you have 
formed the wish to be transported into your 
apartment at the khan, if we are not con- 
veyed thither, it shall be no bargain.” 

On this proposal they went into the mer- 
chant’s back-shop, where they both sat down 
on the carpet; and as soon as the prince had 
formed his wish to be transported into his 
apartment at the khan, he in an instant found 
himself and the crier there. After this con- 
vincing proof of the virtue of the carpet, 
he counted to the crier forty purses of gold, 
and gave him twenty pieces for himself. 

In this manner Prince Houssain became 
the possessor of the carpet, and was over- 
joyed that at his arrival at Bisnagar he had 
found so rare a curiosity, which he never 
doubted must of course gain him the pos- 
session of Nouronnihar, as his younger 
brothers could not meet with anything to be 
compared with it. By sitting on this carpet, 
it was in his power to be at the place of 
meeting that very day; but as he would be 
obliged to wait there for his brothers until 


PRINCE AHMED 147 

the time they had agreed on, he chose to 
make a longer abode in this capital. 

When Prince Houssain had seen all the 
wonders of the city, he wished to be nearer 
his dear Princess Nouronnihar, and having 
paid all the charges, and returned the key 
of his apartment to the owner of the khan, 
he spread the carpet, and as soon as he had 
formed his wish he and the officer whom he 
had brought with him were transported to 
the inn at which he and his brothers were 
to meet, and where he passed for a merchant 
till their arrival. 

Prince Ali, the second brother, who had 
designed to travel into Persia, after he had 
parted with his brothers, joined a caravan, 
and in four months arrived at Shiraz, the 
capital of that empire. 

On the next morning after his arrival, 
while the merchants opened their bales of 
merchandise, Prince Ali took a walk into 
that quarter of the town where is the bazaar 
of the jewellers, in which they sold precious 
stones, gold and silver works, and other 
choice and valuable articles, for which 
Shiraz was celebrated. 


148 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

Among the criers who passed backwards 
and forwards with samples of several sorts 
of goods, he was not a little surprised to 
see one who held in his hand an ivory tube, 
about a foot in length, and about an inch 
thick, which he cried at forty purses. At 
first he thought the crier mad, and asked 
him what he meant by asking forty purses 
for that tube which seemed to be a thing of 
no value. 

The crier replied, “Sir, you are not the 
only person that takes me for a madman on 
account of this tube; you shall judge your- 
self whether I am or not, when I have told 
you its peculiar power. By looking through 
this tube, you will see whatever object you 
wish to behold.” 

The crier presented him the tube, and he 
looked through, wishing at the same time 
to see the sultan his father, whom he imme- 
diately beheld in perfect health, sitting on 
his throne, in the midst of his council. Next, 
as there was nothing in the world so dear 
to him, after the sultan, as the Princess Nou- 
ronnihar, he wished to see her; and instantly 


PRINCE AHMED 


149 

beheld her laughing, and in a gay humor, 
with her women about her. 

Prince Ali wanted no other proof to per- 
suade him that this tube was the most valu- 
able article, not only in the city of Shiraz, 
but in all the world; and believed that if he 
should neglect to purchase it, he would 
never meet with an equally wonderful curi- 
osity. He said to the crier, “I am very sorry 
that I have entertained so wrong an opinion 
of you, but I hope to make amends by 
buying the tube, and I will give you the 
price you ask.” 

On this the prince took the crier to the 
khan where he lodged, counted him out the 
money, and received the tube. 

Prince Ali was overjoyed at his purchase; 
he persuaded himself that, as his brothers 
would not be able to meet with anything so 
rare and admirable, the Princess Nouron- 
nihar must be the recompense of his fatigue 
and travels. He now thought only of visit- 
ing the court of Persia, and of seeing what- 
ever was curious in Shiraz, and when the 
caravan took its departure he joined the 
party of merchants with whom he had trav- 


150 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

elled, and arrived happily without any 
accident or trouble at the place appointed, 
where he found Prince Houssain, and both 
waited for Prince Ahmed. 

Prince Ahmed took the road to Samar- 
cand, and the day after his arrival, went 
as his brothers had done, into the market, 
where he had not walked long before he 
heard a crier, who had an artificial apple in 
his hand, offer it at forty purses. He stopped 
the crier, and said to him, “Let me see that 
apple, and tell me what virtue it possesses, 
to be valued at so high a rate.” 

“Sir,” replied the crier, giving it into his 
hand, “if you look at the mere outside of 
this apple, it is not very remarkable; but if 
you consider its properties, you will say it 
is invaluable, and that he who possesses it 
is master of a great treasure. It cures all 
sick persons of every disease, and even if the 
patient is dying, it will help him immedi- 
ately, and restore him to perfect health; and 
this merely by the patient’s smelling it.” 

“If one may believe you,” replied Prince 
Armed, “the virtues of this apple are won- 
derful, and it is indeed invaluable; but how 


PRINCE AHMED 


151 

am I to know that there is no error in the 
high praises you bestow on it?” 

“Sir,” replied the crier, “the truth is 
known by the whole city of Samarcand. Ask 
all these merchants you see here, and hear 
what they say. You will find several of them 
will tell you they had not been alive this 
day had they not made use of this excellent 
remedy.” 

While the crier was detailing to Prince 
Ahmed the virtues of the artificial apple, 
many persons gathered round them, and con- 
firmed what he declared; and one afhongst 
the rest said he had a friend dangerously ill, 
whose life was despaired of, which was a 
favorable opportunity to show the apple’s 
power; on which Prince Ahmed told the 
crier he would give him forty purses for the 
apple if it cured the sick person by smell- 
ing it. 

“Come sir,” said the crier to Prince 
Ahmed, “let us go and make the experiment, 
and the apple shall be yours.” 

The experiment succeeded; and the prince, 
after he had counted out to the crier forty 
purses, received the apple. He then spent 


i 5 2 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

his time in seeing all that was curious at and 
about Samarcand; and having joined the first 
caravan that set out for the Indies, he arrived 
in perfect health at the inn, where the 
Princes Houssain and Ali waited for him. 

When Prince Ahmed joined his brothers 
they embraced with tenderness, and com- 
plimented each other on the happiness of 
meeting together in safety at the same place 
they had set out from. Houssain, as the 
eldest brother, then said: “Brothers, we shall 
have time enough hereafter to describe our 
travels. Let us come to that which is of the 
greatest importance for us to know, and not 
conceal from each other the curiosities we 
have brought, but show them, that we may 
ourselves judge to which of us the sultan 
our father may give the preference. I will 
tell you that the rarity which I have brought 
from the kingdom of Bisnagar is the carpet 
on which I sit. It looks but ordinary, and 
makes no show, but its virtues are wonderful. 
Whoever sits on it, and desires to be trans- 
ported to any place, be it ever so far distant, 
is immediately carried thither. On my re- 
turn here I made use of no other conveyance 


PRINCE AHMED 


153 

than this wonderful carpet, for which I 
paid forty purses. I expect now that you 
should tell me whether what you have 
brought is to be compared with this carpet.” 

Prince Ali next spoke. “I acknowledge, 
brother,” said he, “that your carpet is a most 
surprising curiosity. But you must allow 
that there may be other rarities at least as 
wonderful. Here is an ivory tube, which 
appears to the eye no more a prodigy than 
your carpet. It cost me forty purses, and 
I am as well satisfied with my purchase as 
you can be with yours; for on looking at 
one end of this tube you can see whatever 
object you wish to behold. I would not have 
you take my word,” added Prince Ali, pre- 
senting the tube to him. “Take it, and make 
a trial of it yourself.” 

Houssain took the ivory tube, and wished 
to see the Princess Nouronnihar, when Ali 
and Prince Ahmed, who kept their eyes fixed 
on him, were extremely surprised to see his 
countenance suddenly express extraordinary 
alarm and affliction. Prince Houssain did 
not give them time to ask what was the mat- 
ter, but cried out, “Alas! princes, to what 


154 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

purpose have we undertaken such long and 
fatiguing journeys, with the hopes of being 
recompensed by the hand of the charming 
Nouronnihar, when in a few moments that 
lovely princess will breathe her last! I saw 
her in bed, surrounded by her women, all 
weeping and seeming to expect her death. 
Take the tube, behold yourselves the miser- 
able state she is in, and mingle your tears 
with mine.” 

Prince Ali took the tube out of Houssain’s 
hand, and after he had seen the same object 
with the deepest grief presented it to Ahmed, 
who also beheld the sad sight which so much 
concerned them all. 

When Prince Ahmed had taken the tube 
out of Ali’s hands, and saw that the Princess 
Nouronnihar’s end was so near, he addressed 
himself to his two companions, and said, 
“Brothers, the Princess Nouronnihar, whom 
we all equally loved, is indeed just at death’s 
door; but provided we make haste and lose 
no time, we may preserve her life. This 
apple which you see cost the same sum as 
the carpet and the tube; but it has this sur- 
prising power — its smell will restore to life 


PRINCE AHMED 


155 

a sick person, whatever be the malady. I 
have made the experiment, and can show 
you its wonderful effect on the person of the 
Princess Nouronnihar if we hasten to assist 
her.” 

“If that be all,” replied Prince Houssain, 
“we cannot make more despatch than by 
transporting ourselves instantly into her 
chamber by means of my carpet. Come, lose 
no time, sit down, it is large enough to hold 
us all.” 

As soon as the order was given, the Princes 
Ali and Ahmed sat down by Houssain, and 
as their interest was the same, they all 
framed the same wish, and were transported 
instantaneously into the Princess Nouronni- 
har’s chamber. 

The presence of the three princes, who 
were so little expected, alarmed the prin- 
cess’s women and guards, who could not 
comprehend by what enchantment three men 
should be among them; for they did not 
know them at first; and the guards were 
ready to fall on them, as people who had 
got into a part of the palace where they were 


156 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

not allowed to come; but they quickly found 
out their mistake. 

Prince Ahmed no sooner saw himself in 
Nouronnihar’s chamber than he rose off the 
carpet, and went to the bedside, and put the 
apple to her nostrils. The princess instantly 
opened her eys, and sitting up, asked to be 
dressed, as if she had awakened out of a 
sound sleep. Her women presently informed 
her that she was obliged to the three princes, 
her cousins, and particularly to Prince 
Ahmed, for the sudden recovery of her 
health. She immediately expressed her joy 
at seeing them, and thanked them all to- 
gether, but afterwards Prince Ahmed in 
particular. As she desired to dress, the 
princes contented themselves with telling her 
how great a pleasure it was to them to have 
come soon enough to contribute each in any 
degree towards relieving her from the immi- 
nent danger she was in, and what ardent 
prayers they had offered for the continuance 
of her life; after which they retired. 

While the princess was dressing, the 
princes went to throw themselves at the 
sultan their father’s feet; but when they 


PRINCE AHMED 


157 

came to him, they found he had been pre- 
viously informed of their unexpected arrival 
by the chief of the princess’s guards, and by 
what means the princess had been so sud- 
denly cured. The sultan received and em- 
braced them with the greatest joy, both for 
their return and the wonderful recovery of 
the princess, his niece, whom he loved as 
if she had been his own daughter. After 
the usual compliments the princes each pre- 
sented the rarity which he had brought: 
Prince Houssain his carpet, Prince Ali his 
ivory tube, and Prince Ahmed the artificial 
apple; and after each had commended his 
present, as he put it into the sultan’s hands, 
they begged of him to pronounce their fate, 
and declare to which of them he would give 
the Princess Nouronnihar, according to his 
promise. 

The Sultan of the Indies having heard 
all that the princes had to say in favor of 
their rarities remained some time silent, 
considering what answer he should make. 
At last he broke silence, and said to them 
in terms full of wisdom, “I would declare 
for one of you, my sons, if I could do it 


158 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

with justice. It is true, Ahmed, the prin- 
cess, my niece, is obliged to your artificial 
apple for her cure; but let me ask you, 
whether you could have contrived to cure 
her if you had not known by Ali’s tube the 
danger she was in, and if Houssain’s carpet 
had not brought you to her so soon? Your 
tube, Ali, revealed to you and your brothers 
the illness of your cousin; but you must 
grant that the knowledge of her illness would 
have been of no service without the artificial 
apple and the carpet. And as for you, Hous- 
sain, your carpet was an essential instrument 
in effecting her cure; but consider, it would 
have been of little use if you had not been 
acquainted with her illness by Ali’s tube, 
or if Ahmed had not applied his artificial 
apple. Therefore, as the carpet, the ivory 
tube, and the artificial apple have no pref- 
erence over each other, but on the contrary 
as each had an equal share in her cure, I 
cannot grant the princess to any one of you; 
and the only fruit you have reaped from 
your travels is the happiness of having 
equally contributed to restore her to health. 

“As this is the case,” added the sultan, 


PRINCE AHMED 159 

“I must resort to other means to determine 
the choice I ought to make; and as there 
is time enough between now and night, I 
will do it to-day. Go and procure each of 
you a bow and arrow, and repair to the 
plain where the horses are exercised. I will 
soon join you, and will give the Princess 
Nouronnihar to him who shoots the farthest.” 

The three princes had nothing to object to 
the decision of the sultan. When they were 
dismissed from his presence, they each pro- 
vided themselves with a bow and arrow, and 
went to the plain appointed, followed by a 
great concourse of people. 

As soon as the sultan arrived, Prince Hous- 
sain, as the eldest, took his bow and arrow, 
and shot first. Prince Ali shot next, and 
much beyond him, and Prince Ahmed last 
of all; but it so happened that nobody saw 
where his arrow fell; and notwithstanding 
all the search made by himself and the spec- 
tators, it was not to be found. So the sultan 
determined in favor of Prince Ali, and gave 
orders for preparations to be made for the 
wedding of him and Nouronnihar, which 


i6o THE JADE STORY BOOK 

was celebrated a few days after with great 
magnificence. 

Prince Houssain would not honor the feast 
with his presence. His love for the princess 
was so sincere and ardent that he could 
scarcely support with patience the mortifica- 
tion of seeing her marry Prince Ali, who, he 
said, did not deserve her better nor love her 
more than himself. In short, his grief was 
so great that he left the court, and renounced 
all right of succession to the crown, to turn 
dervish, and put himself under the discipline 
of a famous holy man, who had gained great 
reputation for his holy life. 

Prince Ahmed, from the same motive, did 
not assist at Prince Ali and the Princess 
Nouronnihar’s nuptials any more than his 
brother Houssain, yet did not renounce the 
world as he had done. But as he could not 
imagine what had become of his arrow, he 
resolved to search for it. With this intent 
he went to the place where the Princess 
Houssain’s and Ali’s were picked up, and 
proceeding straightforward thence, looked 
carefully on both sides as he advanced. He 
went so far that at last he began to think 


PRINCE AHMED 161 

his labor was in vain; yet he felt compelled 
to proceed, till he came to some steep craggy 
rocks, which completely prevented any fur- 
ther progress. 

At the very foot of these rocks he per- 
ceived an arrow, which, to his great astonish- 
ment, he found to be the same he had shot. 
“Certainly,” said he to himself, “neither I 
nor any man living could shoot an arrow so 
far. There must be come mystery in this; 
and perhaps fortune, to make amends for 
depriving me of what I thought the greatest 
happiness of my life, may have reserved a 
greater blessing for my comfort.” 

On looking about, the prince beheld an 
iron door, which seemed to be locked; but 
on his pushing against it, it opened, and 
revealed a staircase, which he walked down 
with his arrow in his hand. At first he 
thought he was going into a dark place, 
but presently he was surrounded by light, 
and beheld a splendid palace, the admirable 
structure of which he had not time to look 
at; for at the same instant a lady of majestic 
air, and of a beauty heightened by the rich- 
ness of the jewels which adorned her person, 


1 62 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

advanced, attended by a troop of ladies, who 
were scarcely less magnificently dressed than 
their mistress. 

As soon as Ahmed perceived the lady, he 
hastened to pay his respects; but the lady, 
addressing him first, said, “Enter, Prince 
Ahmed, you are welcome.” 

After these words the lady led Prince 
Ahmed into a grand hall. She then sat down 
on a sofa; and when the prince, at her en- 
treaty, had seated himself by her, she con- 
tinued, “You know that the world is inhab- 
ited by genii as well as men; I am Perie 
Banou, the daughter of one of the most pow- 
erful of these genii. I am no stranger to 
your loves or your travels. The artificial 
apple which you bought at Samarcand, the 
carpet which Prince Houssain purchased at 
Bisnagar, and the tube which Prince Ali 
brought from Shiraz were of my contrivance. 
You seemed to me worthy of a better fate 
than to marry the Princess Nouronnihar; 
and that you might attain to it, I caused your 
arrow to fly out of sight, and to strike against 
the rocks near which you found it. It is in 
your power to avail yourself of the favorable 


PRINCE AHMED 163 

opportunity which presents itself to make 
you happy.” 

As the fairy Perie Banou pronounced the 
last words with a different tone, and after 
looking tenderly at the prince, sat with 
downcast eyes and a modest blush on her 
cheeks, it was not difficult for him to com- 
prehend what happiness she meant; and he 
replied, “Could I have the pleasure of mak- 
ing you the partner of my life, I should 
think myself the happiest of men.” 

“Then you shall be my husband,” an- 
swered the fairy, “and I will be your wife. 
Our fairy marriages are contracted with no 
other ceremonies than a mutual consent. I 
will give orders for the preparation of our 
wedding feast this evening; and in the mean- 
while I will show you my palace.” 

The fairy led Ahmed through the apart- 
ments of the palace, where he saw diamonds, 
rubies, emeralds, and all sorts of fine jewels 
intermixed with pearls, agate, jasper, and 
the most precious marbles, together with the 
richest furniture disposed in the most ele- 
gant profusion. At last he entered the hall 
where the cloth was laid for the feast. It 


164 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

was adorned with an infinite number of wax 
candles perfumed with amber. A concert 
accompanied the feast, formed of the most 
harmonious instruments that were ever heard. 
After the dessert, which consisted of the 
choicest fruits and sweetmeats, the fairy 
Perie Banou and Prince Ahmed rose and 
repaired to a dais, provided with cushions 
of fine silk, curiously embroidered. Pres- 
ently a great number of genii and fairies 
danced before them, and at last divided 
themselves into two rows, through which the 
prince and Perie Banou passed toward their 
chambers and, after bowing, retired. 

Every day spent with the fairy Perie was 
a continual feast, for every day she pro- 
vided new delicacies, new concerts, new 
dances, new shows, and new diversions, which 
were all so gratifying to the senses that 
Ahmed, if he had lived a thousand years 
among men, could not have experienced 
equal enjoyment. 

The fairy’s intention was not only to give 
the prince convincing proofs of her love, 
but to let him see that he could meet with 
nothing at his father’s court comparable to 


PRINCE AHMED 


165 

the happiness he enjoyed with her. She 
hoped by those means to attach Prince 
Ahmed entirely to herself. 

At the end of six months, Prince Ahmed 
felt a great desire to visit the sultan his 
father, and know how he was. He men- 
tioned his wish to Perie Banou, who was 
much alarmed lest this was only an excuse 
to leave her, and entreated him to forego his 
intention. 

“My queen,” replied the prince, “I did 
not make the request with any intention of 
displeasing you, but from a motive of respect 
towards my father, who, as I have reason 
to presume, believes that I am dead. But 
since you do not consent that I should go 
and comfort him by the assurance of my life, 
I will deny myself the pleasure, as there is 
nothing to which I would not submit to 
please you.” 

The fairy heard the prince say this with 
extreme satisfaction. 

Meanwhile the Sultan of the Indies, in 
the midst of the rejoicings on account of 
the nuptials of Prince Ali and the Princess 
Nouronnihar, was deeply afflicted at the 


1 66 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

absence of the other two princes his sons. 
He was soon informed of the resolution 
Prince Houssain had taken to forsake the 
world, and as he knew that he was alive 
and well, he supported his absence more 
patiently. He made the most diligent search 
after Ahmed, and despatched messengers to 
all the provinces of his kingdom, with orders 
to the governors to stop him, and oblige him 
to return to court; but all the pains he took 
had not the desired success; and his affliction, 
instead of diminishing, increased. “Vizier,” 
he one day said, “thou knowest I always 
loved Ahmed the most of all my sons. My 
grief is so heavy at his strange absence that 
I shall sink under it. If thou hast any re- 
gard for my life I beg thee to assist me, and 
find out where he is.” 

The grand vizier, anxious to give his king 
some ease, proposed to send for and consult 
a sorceress, of whom he had heard many 
wonders. The sultan consented, and the 
grand vizier, on her arrival, introduced her 
into the presence of the ruler. 

The sultan said to the sorceress, “Canst 
thou tell me by thy art and skill what is 


PRINCE AHMED 167 

become of Prince Ahmed my son? If he 
be alive, where is he? What is he doing? 
May I hope ever to see him again?” 

“Sire,” replied the sorceress, “if you will 
allow me till to-morrow, I will endeavor to 
satisfy you.” 

The sultan granted her the time, and 
promised to recompense her richly. 

The sorceress returned the next day and 
said to the sultan, “Sire, I have not been 
able to discover anything more than that 
Prince Ahmed is alive, but as to where he is 
I cannot tell.” 

The Sultan of the Indies was obliged to 
remain satisfied with this answer, which in 
a small degree relieved his anxiety about 
the prince. 

Prince Ahmed still adhered to his resolu- 
tion not again to ask permission to leave the 
fairy Perie Banou, but he frequently talked 
about his father, and she perceived that he 
retained his wish to see him. At length, 
being assured of the sincerity of his affection 
for herself, she resolved to grant him the 
permission which he so ardently desired. 
One day she said to him, “Prince, as I am 


1 68 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

now fully convinced that I can depend on 
the fidelity of your love, I grant you leave 
to visit the sultan your father, on condition 
that your absence shall not be long. You 
can go when you please; but first let me 
give you some advice how you shall conduct 
yourself. Do not inform your father of 
our marriage, neither of my quality, nor 
the place of our residence. Beg of him to 
be satisfied with knowing that you are happy, 
and that the sole end of your visit is to make 
him easy respecting your fate.” 

After Prince Ahmed had expressed to 
Perie Banou his sincere gratitude, the fairy 
summoned twenty horsemen, well mounted 
and equipped, to attend him. When all was 
ready, Prince Ahmed took his leave of the 
fairy. A charger, which was most richly 
caparisoned, and as beautiful a creature as 
any in the sultan’s stables, was brought to 
him, and he set forward on his journey. 

As it was no great distance, Prince Ahmed 
soon arrived at his father’s capital. The 
people received him with shouts and followed 
him in crowds to the palace. The sultan 
embraced him with great joy, complaining 


PRINCE AHMED 169 

at the same time, with a fatherly tenderness, 
of the affliction his long absence had occa- 
sioned. 

“Sire,” replied Prince Ahmed, “I could 
not bear to resign the Princess Nouronnihar 
to my brother Ali, and I felt that my arrow, 
though it could not be found, had gone be- 
yond his. The loss of my arrow dwelt con- 
tinually on my mind, and I resolved to find 
it. I therefore returned alone to look for 
it, and I sought all about the plain where 
Houssain’s and Ali’s arrows were found, 
and where I imagined mine must have fallen, 
but all my labor was in vain. I had gone 
in the same direction about a league, a dis- 
tance that the strongest archers could not 
reach with their arrows, and was about to 
abandon my search and return home, when 
I found myself drawn forward against my 
will. After having gone four leagues, to 
the end of the plain, where it is bounded by 
rocks, I perceived an arrow. I ran, took it 
up, and knew it to be the same which I had 
shot. Far from blaming your majesty for 
declaring in favor of my brother Ali, I never 
doubted but there was a mystery in what 


170 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

had happened to my advantage. But as to 
the revealing of this mystery, I beg you will 
not be offended if I remain silent, and that 
you will be satisfied to know from my own 
mouth that I am happy and content with 
my fate. To tell you this, and to relieve 
your anxiety, was the motive which brought 
me hither. I must now return, and the only 
favor I ask is your leave to come occasionally 
to pay you my duty, and to inquire after 
your health.” 

“Son,” answered the Sultan of the Indies, 
“I wish to penetrate no further into your 
secrets. I can only tell you that your pres- 
ence has restored to me the joy I have not 
felt for a long time. You shall always be 
welcome when you can come to visit me.” 

Prince Ahmed stayed but three days at 
his father’s court and on the fourth returned 
to the fairy Perie Banou, who received him 
with the greater joy, as she did not expect 
him so soon. At the end of a month after 
the prince’s return, the fairy, no longer 
doubting his love for her, proposed herself 
that he should pay his respects to the sultan. 
“It is a month,” she said, “since you have 


PRINCE AHMED 171 

seen the sultan your father. I think you 
should not be longer in renewing your visits. 
Go to him to-morrow, and after that visit 
him once a month, without speaking to me 
or waiting for my permission. I readily con- 
sent to such an arrangement.” 

Prince Ahmed went the next morning with 
the same attendants as before, but much more 
magnificently mounted, equipped, and 
dressed, and was received by the sultan with 
the same joy and satisfaction. For several 
months he constantly made these visits, and 
always in a richer and more brilliant 
equipage. 

At last the sultan’s counsellors, who judged 
of Prince Ahmed’s power by the splendor of 
his appearance, sought to make the sultan 
jealous of his son. They represented that 
it was but common prudence to discover 
where the prince had retired, and how he 
could afford to live so magnificently, since 
he had no revenue assigned for his expenses; 
that he seemed to come to court only to 
insult him, by affecting a more splendid dis- 
play than himself; and that it was to be 
feared he might court the people’s favor 


172 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

and dethrone him. They represented the 
danger to be greater, as the prince could not 
reside far from the capital, for on every visit 
his attendants were different, their habits 
new, and their arms clean and bright, as if 
just come from the maker’s hands; and their 
horses looked as if they had only been walked 
out. “These are sufficient proofs,” they said, 
“that Prince Ahmed does not travel far, so 
that we should think ourselves wanting in 
our duty did we not make our humble re- 
monstrances, in order that, for your own 
preservation and the good of your people, 
your majesty may take such measures as you 
shall think advisable.” 

When the courtiers had concluded these 
insinuations, the sultan said, “I do not believe 
my son Ahmed would act as you would per- 
suade me; however, I am obliged to you for 
your advice, and do not doubt that it pro- 
ceeds from your loyalty to my person.” 

The Sultan of the Indies said this that his 
courtiers might not know the impression 
their words had made on his mind. He 
was, however, so much alarmed by them, 
that he resolved to have Prince Ahmed 


PRINCE AHMED 


173 

watched. For this end he sent privately 
for the sorceress, who was introduced by a 
secret door into his study. “You told me the 
truth,” said he, “when you assured me my 
son Ahmed was alive. He now comes to my 
court every month, but I cannot learn from 
him where he resides. I believe you are 
capable of discovering his secret. He is at 
this time with me, and will depart in the 
morning, without taking leave of me or any 
of my court. I require you to watch him 
so as to find out where he retires, and bring 
me information.” 

The sorceress left the sultan, and learning 
by her art the place where Prince Ahmed 
had found his arrow, went immediately 
thither, and concealed herself near the rocks 
so as not to be seen. 

The next morning Prince Ahmed set out 
by daybreak, without taking leave either of 
the sultan or any of his court, according to 
custom. The sorceress saw him coming, and 
watched him and his attendants till she sud- 
denly lost sight of them in the rocks. The 
steepness of the rocks formed a strong bar- 
rier to men, whether on horseback or on foot, 


174 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

so that the sorceress judged that the prince 
and his retinue had suddenly retired either 
into some cavern or some underground place, 
the abode of genii or fairies. When she 
thought the prince and his attendants must 
have advanced far into whatever concealment 
they inhabited, she came out of the place 
where she had hidden herself, and explored 
the spot where she had lost sight of them, 
but could perceive nothing. The sorceress 
was obliged to be satisfied with the insuffi- 
cient discovery she had made, and returned 
to communicate it to the sultan; but at the 
same time informed him that she did not 
despair of obtaining the information he 
wished. 

The sultan was much pleased, and to en- 
courage her presented her with a diamond 
of great value, telling her it was only a fore- 
runner of the ample recompense she should 
receive when she had performed the im- 
portant service which he left to her manage- 
ment. The sorceress, knowing the time 
when Prince Ahmed would again visit his 
father, went shortly before that time to the 
foot of the rock where she had lost sight 


PRINCE AHMED 175 

of him and his attendants, and waited there 
to execute the project she had formed. 

The next morning as Prince Ahmed went 
out as usual at the iron door, with his attend- 
ants, on his journey to the capital, he saw 
a woman lying with her head on a rock, and 
complaining as if she was in great pain. 
He pitied her, turned his horse, and said, 
“Good woman, I will assist you, and convey 
you where you shall not only have all pos- 
sible care taken of you, but where you will 
find a speedy cure. Rise, and let one of my 
people take you behind him.” 

At these words the sorceress made many 
feigned efforts to rise, pretending that the 
violence of her illness prevented her. At 
the same time two of the prince’s attendants, 
alighting, helped her up, and placed her 
behind one of their companions. They 
mounted their horses again, and followed the 
prince, who turned back to the iron gate, 
which was opened by one of his followers. 
When he came into the outward court of 
the fairy’s palace, without dismounting him- 
self, he sent to tell her he wanted to speak 
with her. The fairy came with all imagin- 


176 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

able haste, when Prince Ahmed said, “My 
princess, I desire you would have compassion 
on this good woman. I recommend her to 
your care, and am persuaded that you, from 
inclination, as well as my request, will not 
abandon her.” 

The fairy, who had her eyes fixed on the 
pretended sick woman all the time the prince 
was speaking, ordered two of her women 
to take her from the men who supported her, 
conduct her into an apartment of the palace, 
and take as much care of her as they would 
of herself. 

Whilst the two women were executing the 
fairy’s commands, she went up to Prince 
Ahmed, and whispering to him said, “Prince, 
I commend your compassion, which is 
worthy of you and your birth; but believe 
me, this woman is not so sick as she pretends 
to be. I am much mistaken if she is not 
sent hither on purpose to occasion you great 
trouble. But do not be concerned, I will 
deliver you out of all the snares that shall 
be laid for you. Go and pursue your 
journey.” 

This address of the fairy’s did not in the 


PRINCE AHMED 


177 

least alarm Prince Ahmed. “My princess,” 
said he, “as I do not remember I ever did, 
or designed to do, anybody an injury, I 
cannot believe any one can have a thought 
of injuring me; but if they have, I shall 
not forbear doing good whenever I have an 
opportunity.” 

So saying, he took leave of the fairy, and 
set forward again for his father’s capital, 
where he soon arrived, and was received as 
usual by the sultan, who constrained himself 
as much as possible, to disguise the anxiety 
arising from the suspicions suggested by his 
favorites. 

In the meantime the two women, to whom 
Perie Banou had given her orders, conveyed 
the sorceress into an elegant apartment, 
richly furnished. When they had put her 
into bed, the quilt of which was embroidered 
brocade, and the coverlet cloth of gold, one 
of the women went out, and returned soon 
with a china cup in her hand, full of a 
certain liquor, which she presented to the 
sorceress, while the other helped her to 
sit up. “Drink this,” said the attendant; 
“it is the water of the fountain of lions, and 


17B THE JADE STORY BOOK 

a sure remedy. You will feel the effect of 
it in less than an hour.” 

The two attendants returned in an hour’s 
time and found the sorceress seated on the 
sofa; who, when she saw them open the 
door of the apartment, cried out, “Oh, the 
admirable potion! It has wrought its cure; 
and being thus cured as by a miracle, I 
would not lose time, but continue my 
journey.” 

The two attendants, after they had told 
the sorceress how glad they were that she 
was cured so soon, walked before her, and 
conducted her through several apartments, all 
more superb than that wherein she had lain, 
into a large hall, the most richly and mag- 
nificently furnished of all the palace. 

Perie Banou was seated in this hall, on 
a throne of massy gold, enriched with dia- 
monds, rubies, and pearls of an extraordinary 
size, and attended on each hand by a great 
number of beautiful fairies, all richly 
dressed. At the sight of so much splendor 
the sorceress was not only dazzled, but so 
struck, that after she had prostrated herself 
before the throne, she could not open her 


PRINCE AHMED 


179 

lips to thank the fairy, as she had proposed. 
However, Perie Banou saved her the trou- 
ble, and said, “Good woman, I am glad I 
had an opportunity to oblige you, and that 
you are able to pursue your journey. I will 
not detain you; but perhaps you may not be 
displeased to see my palace. Follow my 
women, and they will show it to you.” 

The old sorceress, who had not power or 
courage to say a word, prostrated herself a 
second time, with her head on the carpet 
that covered the foot of the throne, and then 
was conducted by the two fairies through 
the same apartments which were shown to 
Prince Ahmed at his first arrival. They at 
last led her to the iron gate at which Prince 
Ahmed had brought her in; and after she 
had taken her leave of them, and thanked them 
for their trouble, they opened it, and wished 
her a good journey. 

When the sorceress had gone a little way 
she turned to observe the door, that she might 
know it again, but all in vain; for it was 
invisible to her and all other women. Ex- 
cept in this circumstance, she was very well 
satisfied with her success, and posted away to 


180 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

the sultan. The sultan, being informed of 
her arrival, sent for her to come into his 
apartment. 

The sorceress at once related to the sultan 
the stratagem by which she excited the com- 
passion of Prince Ahmed, her introduction 
to the Princess Perie Banou, and all the won- 
ders of her fairy abode. Having finished her 
narrative, she said, “What does your majesty 
think of these unheard-of riches of the fairy? 
Perhaps you will rejoice at the good fortune 
of Prince Ahmed your son. For my part, 
I shudder when I consider the misfortunes 
which may happen to you, as the fairy, by 
her attractions and caresses, may inspire your 
son with the unnatural design of dethroning 
his father and of seizing the crown of the 
Indies.” 

As the sultan was consulting with his 
councillors when he was told of the sorcer- 
ess’s arrival, he ordered her to follow him 
into the council chamber. After having 
informed his councillors of all he had learned, 
and of his fears of the influence of the fairy 
over his son, one of them said, “The author 
Of this mischief is in your majesty’s power. 


PRINCE AHMED 181 

You ought to put him under arrest; I will 
not say take away his life, but make him a 
close prisoner.” 

This advice all the other councillors unan- 
imously applauded. 

The sorceress asked of the sultan leave to 
speak, which being granted, she said, “If 
you arrest the prince, you must also detain 
his retinue. But they are all genii. Will 
they not at once disappear by the power they 
possess of rendering themselves invisible, and 
transport themselves instantly to the fairy, 
and give her an account of the insult offered her 
husband? And can it be supposed she will 
let it go unrevenged? Would it not be better 
to turn the prince’s alliance to your ad- 
vantage by imposing on him some hard task, 
which, if he performs, will benefit you, and 
which, if he cannot perform, may give you 
an honorable pretext for your accusations 
against him? Request the prince to pro- 
cure you a tent, which can be carried in a 
man’s hand, and yet be large enough to shel- 
ter your whole army.” 

When the sorceress had finished her 
speech, the sultan asked his councillors if 


1 82 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

they had anything better to propose; and 
finding them all silent, determined to follow 
her advice. 

The next day, when the prince came into 
his father’s presence, the sultan thus ad- 
dressed him, “My son, I congratulate you 
on your marriage with a fairy, who I hear 
is worthy of your love. It is my earnest wish 
that you would use your influence with your 
wife to obtain her assistance to do me a great 
service. You know to what a great expense 
I am put, every time I engage in war, to 
provide mules, camels, and other beasts of 
burden to carry the tents of myself and of 
my army. Now I am persuaded you could 
easily procure from the fairy, your wife, a 
tent that might be carried in a man’s hand, 
and which would protect my whole army. 
Pray oblige me in this matter.” 

Prince Ahmed, hearing this request, was 
in the greatest trouble what answer to make. 
At last he replied, “Though I know not how 
this mystery has been revealed to you, I 
cannot deny that your information is correct. 
I have married the fairy you speak of. But 
I can say nothing as to the influence I have 


PRINCE AHMED 183 

over her. However, I will not fail, though 
it be with great reluctance, to ask my wife 
the favor you desire. If I should not come 
again to pay you my respects, it will be the 
sign that I have not been able to succeed in 
my petition; but beforehand, I desire you 
to forgive me, and consider that you yourself 
have reduced me to this extremity.” 

“Son,” replied the Sultan of the Indies, 
“your wife would show that her love to you 
was very slight if, with the power she pos- 
sesses as a fairy, she should refuse so trifling 
a request as that I have begged you to make. 
Go; only ask her. If she loves you, she will 
not deny you.” 

All these reasons of the Sultan of the Indies 
could not satisfy Prince Ahmed; and so 
great was his vexation, that he left the court 
two days sooner than usual. 

When he returned, the fairy, to whom he 
always before had appeared with a gay coun- 
tenance, at once observed his melancholy, and 
asked the cause of the change she perceived 
in him. After much pressing, Ahmed con- 
fessed that the sultan had discovered his 
abode and his marriage with the fairy, 


184 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

though he could not tell by what means. 
The fairy reminded him of the old woman 
on whom he had compassion, and said that 
she was the spy of the sultan, and had told 
him all she had seen and heard. “But,” she 
said, “the mere knowledge of my abode by 
the sultan would not so trouble you. There 
is something else which is the cause of your 
grief and vexation.” 

“Perie Banou,” said Prince Ahmed at 
last, “it is even so. My father doubts my 
fidelity to him, unless I can provide a tent 
large enough to shelter him, his court, and 
army when he goes to war, and small enough 
for a man to carry in his hand.” 

“Prince,” replied the fairy, smiling, “what 
the sultan your father requests is a trifle. On 
occasion I can do him more important serv- 
ice. Therefore, I shall always take real pleas- 
ure in performing whatever you can desire.” 

Perie Banou then sent for her treasurer, 
to whom, when she came, she said, “Noor- 
Jehaun” (which was her name), “bring me 
the largest tent in my treasury.” 

Noor-Jehaun returned presently with a 
small case concealed in the palm of her 


PRINCE AHMED 185 

hand, and presented it to her mistress, who 
gave it to Prince Ahmed to look at. 

When Prince Ahmed saw the small case, 
which the fairy called the largest tent in 
her treasury, he fancied she had a mind to 
banter him. On perceiving this, Perie 
Ranou exclaimed, “What, prince! Do you 
think I jest with you? You will see that I 
am in earnest. Noor-Jehaun,” said she to 
her treasurer, taking the tent out of Prince 
Armed’s hands, “go and set it up, that he 
may judge whether the sultan his father will 
think it large enough.” 

The treasurer went out immediately with 
it from the palace, and carried it to a great 
distance, and then set it up. The prince 
found it large enough to shelter two armies 
as numerous as that of the sultan his father. 
“You see, said the fairy, “that the tent is 
larger than your father may have occasion 
for; but you must also be informed that it 
becomes larger or smaller, according to the 
extent of the army it is to cover, without 
applying any hands to it.” 

The treasurer took down the tent, reduced 
it to its first size, brought it and put it into 


1 86 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

the prince’s hands. He took it, and without 
staying longer than till the next day, mounted 
his horse, and went with the usual attendants 
to the sultan his father. 

The sultan, persuaded that the tent he 
had asked for was beyond all possibility, 
was greatly surprised at the prince’s speedy 
return. He took the tent, and after he had 
admired its smallness he had it set up in 
the great plain before mentioned, and found 
it large enough to cover with ease his whole 
army. Thereupon his amazement was so 
intense that he could not recover himself. 

The sultan expressed great obligation to 
the prince for so noble a present, desiring him 
to return his thanks to the fairy; and to show 
what a value he set on it, ordered it to be 
carefully laid up in his treasury. But in 
his secret bosom he felt greater jealousy than 
ever of his son, considering that by the fairy’s 
assistance he might effect his dethronement. 
Therefore, yet more intent on his ruin, he 
went to consult the sorceress again, who ad- 
vised him to engage the prince to bring him 
some of the water of the fountain of lions. 

In the evening, when the sultan was sur- 


PRINCE AHMED 187 

rounded as usual by all his court, and the 
prince came to pay his respects among the 
rest, he addressed him in these words: “Son, 
I have already expressed to you how much 
I am obliged for the present of the tent you 
have procured me, which I esteem the most 
valuable article in my treasury; but you must 
do one thing more, which will be no less 
agreeable to me. I am informed that the 
fairy your spouse makes use of a certain 
water called the water of the fountain of 
lions, which cures all sorts of diseases, even 
the most dangerous; and as I am perfectly 
well persuaded my health is dear to you, I 
do not doubt but you will ask her for a 
bottle of that water, and bring it to me as 
a sure remedy, which I may use when I 
have occasion. Do me this important serv- 
ice, and complete the duty of a good son 
towards a tender father.” 

Prince Ahmed, who had believed that the 
sultan his father would be satisfied with so 
remarkable and useful a tent as the one he 
had brought, and that he would not impose 
any new task upon him which might hazard 
the fairy’s displeasure, was thunderstruck at 


1 88 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

this new request. After a long silence he 
said, “I beg of your majesty to be assured 
that there is nothing I would not undertake 
to procure which may contribute to the pro- 
longing of your life, but I wish it might 
not be by the means of my wife. For this 
reason I dare not promise to bring the water. 
All I can do is, to assure you I will request 
it of her; but it will be with as great reluc- 
tance as I asked for the tent.” 

The next morning Prince Ahmed returned 
to the fairy Perie Banou, and related to her 
sincerely and faithfully all that had passed 
at his father’s court from the giving of the 
tent, which he told her he received with 
the utmost gratitude, to the new request he 
had charged him to make. He added, “But, 
my princess, I only tell you this as a plain 
account of what passed between me and my 
father. I leave you to your own pleasure, 
whether you will gratify or reject this new 
desire. It shall be as you please.” 

“No, no,” replied the fairy, “I will satisfy 
the sultan, and whatever advice the sorceress 
may give him (for I see that he harkens to 
her counsel) he shall find no fault with you 


PRINCE AHMED 189 

or me. There is much wickedness in this 
demand, as you will understand by what I 
am going to tell you. The fountain of lions 
is situated in the middle of a court of a great 
castle, the entrance into which is guarded 
by four fierce lions, two of which sleep while 
the other two are awake. But let not that 
frighten you. I will supply you with means 
to pass them without danger.” 

The fairy Perie Banou was at that time 
at work with her needle; and as she had by 
her several balls of thread, she took up one, 
and presenting it to Prince Ahmed, said, 
“First take this ball of thread, and I will 
tell you presently the use of it. In the second 
place, you must have two horses. One you 
must ride yourself, and the other you must 
lead, loaded with a sheep cut into four quar- 
ters. In the third place, you must be pro- 
vided with a bottle, which I will give you, 
to bring the water in. Set out early to-mor- 
row morning, and when you have passed the 
gate throw before you the ball of thread, 
which will roll till it reaches the gates of the 
castle. Follow it, and when it stops the 
gates will be open, and you will see the four 


1 90 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

lions. The two that are awake will, by their 
roaring, wake the other two. Be not 
alarmed, but throw each of them a quarter 
of the sheep, and then clap spurs to your 
horse and ride to the fountain. Fill your 
bottle without alighting, and return with 
the same speed. The lions will be so busy 
eating they will let you pass unmolested.” 

Prince Ahmed set out the next morning at 
the time appointed by the fairy, and fol- 
lowed her directions punctually. When he 
arrived at the gates of the castle, he distrib- 
uted the quarters of the sheep among the 
four lions, and passing through the midst 
of them with speed, got to the fountain, filled 
his bottle, and returned safe. When he had 
proceeded a little distance from the castle 
gates he turned about; and perceiving two 
of the lions coming after him, drew his 
sword, and prepared himself for defence. 
But as he went forwards, he saw one of them 
turn out of the road to pass by him, and it 
showed by its actions that it did not come 
to do him any harm, but only to go before 
him. The other followed behind. He 
therefore put his sword into its scabbard. 


PRINCE AHMED 191 

Guarded in this manner he arrived at the 
capital of the Indies; but the lions never 
left him till they had conducted him to the 
gates of the sultan’s palace; after which they 
returned the way they had come, though not 
without alarming the populace, who fled or 
hid themselves to avoid them, notwithstand- 
ing they walked gently and showed no signs 
of fierceness. 

A number of officers came to attend the 
prince while he dismounted, and conduct 
him to the apartment ot the sultan, who was 
at that time conversing with his councillors. 
He aproached the throne, laid the bottle at 
the sultan’s feet, kissed the rich carpet which 
covered the footstool, and rising, said, “I 
have brought you, sire, the healthful water 
which your majesty so much wished for; 
but at the same time I wish you such health 
as never to have occasion to make use of it.” 

After the prince had concluded his com- 
pliment, the sultan placed him on his right 
hand, and said, “Son, I am much obliged 
to you for this valuable present, as also for 
the great danger you have exposed yourself 
to on my account; but I have one thing yet 


1 92 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

to ask of you, after which I shall expect nothing 
more from your obedience, nor from your 
interest with your fairy wife. This request 
is, to bring me a man not above a foot and 
a half high, whose beard is thirty feet long, 
and who carries on his shoulders a bar of 
iron of five hundredweight, which he uses as 
a quarter-staff.” 

Next day the prince returned to Perie 
Banou, to whom he related his father’s new 
demand, “which,” he said, “I look on to be 
a thing more difficult than the two first, for 
I cannot imagine there is or can be such a 
man in the world. Without doubt he seeks 
my ruin; but if there are any means, I beg 
you will tell me how I may come off with 
honor this time also.” 

“Do not alarm yourself, prince,” replied 
the fairy; “you ran a risk in fetching the 
water of the fountain of lions for your father, 
but there is no danger in finding this man. 
He is my brother Schaibar. Though we 
both had the same parents, he is of so violent 
a nature that his resentment kindles at the 
slightest offence; yet, on the other hand, he 
is so liberal as to oblige any one who shows 


PRINCE AHMED 


193 

him a kindness. I will send for him, but 
prepare yourself not to be alarmed at his 
extraordinary figure.” 

“What, my queen!” replied Prince 
Ahmed, “do you say Schaibar is your 
brother? Let him be ever so ugly or de- 
formed, I shall love and honor him as your 
nearest relation.” 

The fairy ordered a gold chafing-dish to 
be lighted on the porch of her palace. She 
took some incense and threw it into the fire, 
when there arose a thick cloud of smoke. 

Some moments after the fairy said to 
Prince Ahmed, “Prince, there comes my 
brother, do you see him?” 

The prince immediately perceived Schai- 
bar, who, as he came forward, looked at 
the prince with a glance that chilled his 
soul in his body, and asked Perie Banou, 
when he first accosted her, who that man 
was. To which she replied, “His name is 
Ahmed. He is a son of the Sultan of the 
Indies, and my husband, brother. I did not 
invite you to my wedding, because you were 
engaged in a distant expedition, from which 
I heard with pleasure you returned victori- 


194 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

ous; but on my husband’s account I have 
taken the liberty now to call for you.” 

At these words, Schaibar, gazing at Prince 
Ahmed with a favorable eye, which, how- 
ever, diminished neither his fierceness nor 
savage look, said, “It is enough for me that 
he is your husband, to engage me to do for 
him whatever he wishes.” 

“The sultan his father,” replied Perie 
Banou, “has a curiosity to see you, and I 
desire he may be your guide to the sultan’s 
court” 

“He needs but lead the way; I will follow 
him,” replied Schaibar. 

The next morning, Schaibar set out with 
Prince Ahmed to visit the sultan. When 
they arrived at the gates of the capital, the 
people, as soon as they saw Schaibar, either 
hid themselves in their shops and houses, 
and shut their doors, or they took to their 
heels, and communicated their fear to all 
they met. They stayed not to look behind 
them; insomuch that Schaibar and Prince 
Ahmed, as they went along, found all the 
streets and squares desolate, till they came to 
the palace, where the guards, instead of pre- 


PRINCE AHMED 195 

venting Schaibar from entering, ran away 
too. Thus the prince and he advanced with- 
out any obstacle to the council-hall, where 
the sultan was seated on his throne sur- 
rounded by his councillors. 

Schaibar haughtily approached the throne, 
and without waiting for Prince Ahmed to 
present him, thus addressed the sultan : 
“Thou hast sent for me. What dost thou 
wish?” 

The sultan, instead of answering, put his 
hands before his eyes to exclude so frightful 
a sight. Schaibar, enraged at this reception, 
lifted up his bar of iron. “Wilt thou not 
speak, then?” he exclaimed, and let it fall 
directly on the sultan’s head, and crushed 
him to the earth. 

He did this before Prince Ahmed had the 
power to interfere. Then he destroyed all 
the councillors who were the enemies of 
Prince Ahmed, and only spared the grand 
vizier at Prince Ahmed’s earnest entreaty. 
Having completed this dreadful execution, 
Schaibar left the hall of audience, and went 
into the midle of the court with the bar of 
iron on his shoulder. “I know there is a 


196 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

certain sorceress who stirred up the sultan 
to demand my presence here,” he cried, look- 
ing at the grand vizier, standing beside 
Prince Ahmed. “Let her be brought before 
me.” 

The grand vizier immediately sent for her, 
when Schaibar, as he crushed her with his 
bar of iron, said, “Learn the consequence of 
giving wicked advice.” 

“Vizier!” exclaimed Schaibar, “this is not 
sufficient. Prince Ahmed, my brother-in- 
law, must be instantly acknowledged as Sul- 
tan of India.” 

All those who were present cheerfully as- 
sented, and made the air resound with cries 
of “Long live Sultan Ahmed,” and in a 
short time the whole city echoed with the 
same shouts. Schaibar next ordered the 
prince clothed in the robes of the sultan, and 
had him instantly installed. And after hav- 
ing paid him homage, and taken an oath of 
fidelity, he went for his sister, Perie Banou, 
conducted her to the city in great pomp, and 
caused her to be acknowledged as Sultana of 
India. 

Prince Ahmed gave to Prince Ali and the 


PRINCE AHMED 


197 

Princess Nouronnihar a very considerable 
province, with its capital, for their establish- 
ment. Afterwards he sent an officer to 
Houssain to acquaint him with the change, 
and made him an offer of any province he 
might choose; but that prince thought him- 
self so happy in his solitude, that he desired 
the officer to return his brother thanks for 
the kindness he designed him, asuring him 
of his submission; but that the only favor he 
desired was, to be indulged with leave to live 
retired in the place he had chosen for his 
retreat. 


THE WIDOW’S SON 


In a little house at the edge of a village 
lived a widow with her only son, and they 
were very happy together. The son was 
kind to his mother, and they made their 
living by growing rice in clearings on the 
mountain side and by hunting wild pig in 
the forest. 

One evening when their supply of meat 
was low, the boy said: 

“Mother, I am going to hunt pig in the 
morning, and I wish you would prepare rice 
for me before daylight.” 

So the widow rose early and cooked the 
rice, and at dawn the boy started out with 
his spear and dog. 

Some distance from the village he entered 
the thick forest. He walked on and on, ever 
on the lookout for game, but none appeared. 
At last, when he had travelled far and the 

198 


THE WIDOW’S SON 


199 


sun was hot, he sat down on a rock to rest 
and took out his brass box to get a piece of 
betel-nut. He prepared the nut and leaf 
for chewing, and as he did so he wondered 
why it was that he had been so unsuccessful 
that day. But even as he pondered he heard 
his dog barking sharply, and cramming the 
betel-nut into his mouth he leaped up and 
ran toward the dog. 

As he drew near he could see that the 
game was a fine large pig, all black save its 
four legs, which were white. He lifted his 
spear and took aim, but before he could 
throw the pig started to run, and instead of 
going toward a water course it ran straight 
up the mountain. The boy went on in hot 
pursuit, and when the pig paused he again 
took aim, but before he could throw, it ran 
on. 

Six times the pig stopped just long enough 
for the boy to take aim, and then started on 
before he could throw. The seventh time, 
however, it halted on the top of a large flat 
rock, and the boy succeeded in killing it. 

He tied its legs together with a piece of 


200 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

rattan and was about to start for home with 
the pig on his back, when to his surprise a 
door in the large stone swung open and a 
man stepped out. 

“Why have you killed my master’s pig?” 
asked the man. 

“I did not know that this pig belonged to 
anyone,” replied the widow’s son. “I was 
hunting, as I often do, and when my dog 
found the pig I helped him to catch it.” 

“Come in and see my master,” said the 
man, and the boy followed him into the stone 
where he found himself in a large room. 
The ceiling and floor were covered with 
peculiar cloth that had seven wide strips of 
red alternating with a like number of yellow 
stripes. When the master of the place ap- 
peared his trousers were of seven colors, as 
were also his jacket and the kerchief about 
his head. 

The master ordered betel-nut, and when 
it was brought they chewed together. Then 
he called for wine, and it was brought in a 
jar so large that it had to be set on the 
ground under the house, and even then the 


THE WIDOW’S SON 


201 


top came so high above the floor that they 
brought a seat for the widow’s son, and it 
raised him just high enough to drink from 
the reed in the top of the jar. He drank 
seven cups of wine, and then they ate rice 
and fish and talked together. 

The master did not blame the boy for 
killing the pig, and declared that he wished 
to make a brother of him. So they became 
friends, and the boy remained seven days in 
the stone. At the end of that time he said 
that he must return to his mother, who would 
be worried about him. In the early morning 
he left the strange house and started for 
home. 

At first he walked briskly, but as the morn- 
ing wore on he went more slowly, and finally 
when the sun was high he sat down on a 
rock to rest. Suddenly looking up, he saw 
before him seven men, each armed with a 
spear, a shield, and a sword. They were 
dressed in different colors, and each man 
had eyes the same color as his clothes. The 
leader, who was dressed all in red, with red 
eyes to match, spoke first, asking the boy 
where he was going. The boy replied that 


202 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

he was going home to his mother who would 
be looking for him, and added: 

“Now I ask where you are going, all 
armed ready for war.” 

“We are warriors,” replied the man in 
red, “and we go up and down the world 
killing whatever we see that has life. Now 
that we have met you, we must kill you 
also.” 

The boy, startled by this strange speech, 
was about to answer when he heard a voice 
near him say: “Fight, for they will try to 
kill you,” and upon looking up he saw his 
spear, shield, and sword which he had left 
at home. Then he knew that the command 
came from a spirit, so he took his weapons 
and began to fight. For three days and 
nights they contended, and never before had 
the seven seen one man so brave. On the 
fourth day the leader was wounded and fell 
dead, and then, one by one, the other six 
fell. 

When they were all killed, the widow’s 
son was so crazed with fighting that he 
thought no longer of returning home, but 
started out to find more to slay. 


THE WIDOW’S SON 203 

In his wanderings he came to the home of 
a great giant whose house was already full 
of men he had conquered in battle, and he 
called up from outside: 

“Is the master of the house at home? If 
he is, let him come out and fight.” 

This threw the giant into a rage, and seiz- 
ing his shield and his spear, the shaft of 
which was the trunk of a tree, he sprang to 
the door and leaped to the ground, not 
waiting to go down the notched pole that 
served for steps. He looked around for his 
antagonist, and seeing only the widow’s son 
he roared: 

“Where is the man that wants to fight? 
That thing? It is only a fly!” 

The boy did not stop to answer, but rushed 
at the giant with his knife; and for three 
days and nights they struggled, till the giant 
fell, wounded at the waist. 

After that the widow’s son stopped only 
long enough to burn the giant’s house, and 
then rushed on looking for someone else to 
slay. Suddenly he again heard the voice 
which had bade him fight with the seven 


204 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

men, and this time it said: “Go home now, 
for your mother is grieved at your absence.” 
In a rage he sprang forward with his sword, 
though he could see no enemy. Then the 
spirit which had spoken to him made him 
sleep for a short time. When he awoke the 
rage was spent. 

Again the spirit appeared, and it said: 
“The seven men whom you killed were sent 
to kill you by the spirit of the great stone, 
for he looked in your hand and saw that 
you were to marry the orphan girl whom 
he himself wished to wed. But you have 
conquered. Your enemies are dead. Go 
home now and prepare a great quantity of 
wine, for I shall bring your enemies to life 
again, and you will all live in peace.” 

So the widow’s son went home, and his 
mother, who had believed him dead, was 
filled with joy at his coming, and all the 
people in the town came out to welcome him. 
When he had told them his story, they has- 
tened to get wine, and all day they bore jars- 
ful to the widow’s house. 

That night there was a great feast, and 
the spirit of the great stone, his seven war- 


THE WIDOW’S SON 


205 

riors, the friendly spirit, and the giant all 
came. The widow’s son married the orphan 
girl, while another beautiful woman became 
the wife of the spirit of the stone. 


MR. SIN, THE CARP 


Some years ago there lived in a small town 
in the province of “The Four Streams” two 
retired magistrates. Mr. Le, the elder of 
the two, had been asked to leave the last 
position he held because it was his custom 
to levy blackmail whenever he could do 
so, and he was also charged, let us hope 
unjustly, with having inflicted torture upon 
those unfortunate ones who could not, or 
would not, meet his demands. In fact, he 
had become so greedy that the people were 
in a state of rebellion. He was at length 
made to retire, but not until he had become 
quite rich. 

The other ex-official, Mr. Sin, was quite 
impulsive. He had been in the habit of 
worrying the people of his district, and 
whenever he began to worry anyone, that 
person had to pay in order to live peacefully. 
The Chinese are slow to change, but even 
they will turn in time on a constant worrier. 

206 


MR. SIN, THE CARP 207 

And so Mr. Sin’s superiors requested him 
to resign, and this he did, but not before he 
also had become quite wealthy. 

Chance led these two worthies to the same 
town, and as their fates had been so much 
alike, they decided to set up house together. 
They were both rich, and so able to make 
themselves very comfortable indeed. 

One day Mr. Sin fell sick of a fever, and 
though this annoyed Mr. Le, who was ex- 
pecting some rich friends to dinner, he sent 
for the doctor, and gave directions that Mr. 
Sin was to be properly looked after. 

When the doctor arrived, his patient was 
in a high fever, so he at once prescribed a 
mixture of powdered deer horns and drag- 
on’s blood, and pills made from hare’s liver, 
these medicines to be taken at intervals. Be- 
fore leaving the house he took Ting, Sin’s 
valet, aside, and ordered him on no account 
to leave his master alone, as he might become 
delirious at any moment. 

Ting promised not to leave his master for 
an instant, but a little later on he heard 
sounds of merriment in the servants’ quar- 
ters, and as Mr. Sin had fallen asleep, he 


208 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

quietly went out to enjoy himself among his 
fellows. He had scarcely left the room, 
however, when Sin became very restless, 
rolling his aching head from side to side. 

“My head burns, and the pillow scorches 1 ” 
moaned he. “I am suffocating! O for 
a breath of the fresh air in the fields and 
woods! Why should I not go and enjoy it? 
I willl” he exclaimed, and with that he 
sprang out of bed, ran out of the room and 
through the front door, and then down the 
road and into a neighboring field. 

“This is delicious !” he said, as he threw 
himself down. “Now I can breathe, and am 
myself again.” 

But soon his tongue again became parched; 
his skin burned, and pains pierced his 
head. “Oh,” he cried, “the fire-demon has 
followed me here! If only I could plunge 
into a river of cold water I should be well.” 
He arose and wandered on until he saw 
before him a broad, shining river, into which 
he immediately plunged. 

He was an expert swimmer, and he dived 
to the bottom, then skimmed along the top, 
his queue floating on the water, and looking 


MR. SIN, THE CARP 209 

like an eel. “This is happiness,” he said; 
“who would live on land who could live 
in water?” 

Just then he heard close to him a funny 
sort of chuckle, and turning round, he saw 
a large fish staring at him with round eyes, 
and with a peculiar twist of its mouth which 
Sin could see was caused by laughter. 

“What are you laughing at?” he asked. 

“You,” replied the fish.. 

“Why do you laugh at me?” he inquired. 

“I laughed at what you said,” answered 
the fish. “The idea of a man knowing what 
the delight of living in water is was so funny 
that I couldn’t help laughing, and it has 
made me feel very uncomfortable, because 
I am not used to doing that.” 

Then Sin asked why a fish should enjoy 
the water more than a man, and the fish re- 
plied that a man would like to swim and 
dive for a little while, but his ugly limbs, 
which made him look like a frog, would 
soon tire. And then, when a man is hungry, 
he has to seek his food on land, while a 
fish can find nourishment while gliding 


2io THE JADE STORY BOOK 

through the water, and that without fatigue 
and almost without movement. 

Then said Sin: “I would give a good 
deal to be like you.” 

“Do you mean that you would like to 
become a fish?” 

“I do,” said Sin; “and I would give up all 
the money I squeezed out of the people when 
I was a magistrate if I could enjoy the 
river as you do.” 

“Then come with me,” said the fish; and 
turning round he swam up-stream, going 
very slowly so that Sin should not lose sight 
of him. 

At length they reached a spot where a 
huge carp lay, surrounded by attendant fishes. 
Sin could see he was the king fish by the 
reverent manner with which the others re- 
garded him. 

Sin’s guide approached the fish king, and 
said: 

“Your Highness, here is a poor man who 
wants very much to become a fish, and so 
I have ventured to bring him into your pres- 
ence,” He then motioned Sin to approach. 


MR. SIN, THE CARP 21 1 

“Do you really wish to become a fish?” 
inquired the king. 

“I do, your Majesty,” replied Sin. “The 
gentleman who brought me to you has shown 
me that only fishes can really appreciate life 
in the river, and I am sure that the full 
enjoyment of such must be wonderful.” 

“Then you shall have your desire,” said 
the king, and turning to one of his attend- 
ants, he told him to fetch a large fish’s skin. 

The messenger soon returned with a skin 
which proved to be just the right size, and 
into this Sin was put, leaving out only his 
hands and feet. It was rather uncomfortable 
at first, and he felt a gradual change coming 
over him; his arms grew smaller and smaller, 
and his hands became like fins; his legs and 
feet went together and took the form of a 
tail. Then he felt better, and became anxious 
to try his new powers, so, thanking his Maj- 
esty for his kindness, he began to swim 
away. 

“Just a minute,” said the king. “I have 
some advice to give you. No one knows 
better than you that men are always trying 
to catch fish, both by hook and net. Now, 


212 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

if ever you see a worm dangling in the water 
in the shape of a hook, leave it alone, or you 
will be a dead fish; and if you see a net 
before you, turn around, and swim the other 
way.” 

“Many thanks for your instructions, your 
Majesty,” said Sin, and with that he turned 
down-stream. It took him a little while to 
get used to his tail and fins, as he still wanted 
to strike out with his hands and feet, but 
by degrees he became used to them, and then 
he swam swiftly with the current. He felt 
fine, and greatly enjoyed the new experience. 

But after a time he became hungry, and 
looked around for a worm, and this was 
something new for him. Perhaps it was 
because he didn’t know how to look for food, 
but it did seem to him that there was nothing 
eatable about, although he went from one 
bank to the other; dived down to the bed 
of the river, and nosed among the refuse 
there, but all to no purpose. And he became 
hungrier and hungrier. 

At last he saw a worm, but he noticed that 
it was in the shape of a hook, and remem- 
bering the king’s instructions he passed by 


MR. SIN, THE CARP 213 

it, then he came back. He swam to and 
fro, trying to avoid it, but somehow he 
couldn’t get away from it. The demon of 
hunger whispered to him, “Eat it; never 
mind what the old carp said, he knows less 
than you do. If you are afraid of it, just 
nibble a little piece off its tail, instead of 
gulping it all down.” 

So Sin just pulled off a little piece that 
was wriggling about, and it tasted so good, 
that he couldn’t resist taking the rest of it, 
so he greedily swallowed the whole worm. 

Quickly was delight turned into pain as 
the hook, which was hidden in the worm, 
pierced the roof of his mouth. In terror 
he tried to swim away, but every movement 
added to his misery, and soon he found he 
was being pulled up to the surface. He 
struggled, but all in vain, and in spite of 
all he could do, he was drawn out of the 
water. He looked up, and to his surprise 
and relief, saw that his captor was one of 
his own servants. 

He spoke to him as well as he could, and 
said: “Let me go, Chang; I am your master, 
Sin, and not a fish; take this awful hook out 


214 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

of my mouth, and put me back into the water 
at once.” 

Chang was puzzled, because he had never 
heard a fish make a noise like this before, 
but he seized the fish, remarking to himself 
what a wonderfully fine one it was, and tear- 
ing the hook out of its jaws, threw it down 
in the boat. 

“You scoundrel!” shouted Sin. “How 
dare you treat me like this. I dismiss you 
from my service at once.” 

“I have heard tales of birds talking,” said 
Chang, “but may I be beaten if I haven’t 
got hold of a fish that talks.” With that he 
turned to the shore, and then he lifted the 
fish by its gills, and started toward home. 

“Oh, you will kill me!” shouted Sin. “I 
will have you flayed alive for this.” 

But Chang took no more notice of the 
strange noises the fish made, and thought 
only of the present he would receive for 
bringing home such a fine fish. Sin was feel- 
ing weak from pain, and from being out of 
the water so long. He thought that surely 
the old porter would know him when he 


MR. SIN, THE CARP 215 

should reach the house, so he ceased his ef- 
forts for the present. 

As soon as they reached the gate the porter 
congratulated Chang on the fine fish he had 
caught, and said that Mr. Le had just sent 
to know whether he had brought in anything. 

“Porter,” said Sin, “I am your master, 
and not a fish. This fellow Chang has 
caused me great pain, and refuses to put 
me back into the water. I order you to take 
me to the river at once.” 

“This is a queer fish that you have got 
hold of, Chang,” said the porter; “I never 
heard one make a noise like this before. You 
had better take it at once to Mr. Le.” 

“What fools these men are,” thought Sin. 
“I see that I must wait until I can explain 
the matter to Le.” 

Chang took the fish straight to Mr. Le, 
and said: “Your Excellency, here is the 
finest carp I have ever seen.” 

“Listen to me, Le,” said Sin, as loudly as 
he could. “I am your friend, Sin, and I 
put on this fish’s skin just to see what it is 
like to be a fish. This scoundrel Chang has 
tortured me. Please tell him to put me back 


216 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

into the river, as I wish to take my former 
shape again.” 

“This is a very peculiar fish,” said Le; 
“why, he grunts like a pig. Still, he will 
make a good dish, so take him to the cook.” 

“Oh!” groaned Sin, “would you eat your 
old friend, Le?” 

But Le didn’t understand either, so Chang 
started for the kitchen. “My only chance 
now is that the cook will know me,” thought 
Sin. 

And now his last hope fled, for as Chang 
handed the carp to the cook, Sin said as dis- 
tinctly as he could, “Cook, I am no fish, but 
Mr. Sin. I have always treated you well, 
so please take me back to the river.” 

“This is a noisy carp you have caught, 
Chang,” said the cook, “but he won’t grunt 
much longer. Hand me the chopper.” 

And now Sin made all the noise he could. 
He screamed, “Spare me! Spare me, cook.” 
But the cook took no notice of him. Placing 
him on the kitchen block, he lifted the chop- 
per, and gave him a violent blow on the 
head. 

“Oh!” exclaimed Sin, “what an awful 


MR. SIN, THE CARP 217 

knock I have given myself. I must have 
fallen out of bed and struck my head on the 
floor.” 

He was now thoroughly awake, but it was 
some time before he could realize that he 
was safe in his own room, so real had his 
experiences seemed. But he at length 
breathed a sigh of relief, for he knew that 
it was only a dream. 


PRINCE ZEYN ALASNAM AND THE 
SULTAN OF THE GENII 

There was a Sultan of Bussorah blessed 
with great prosperity and happy in the affec- 
tions of his people. His only source of 
affliction was, that he was childless. But 
after many years had passed a son was born 
to him, whom he named Zeyn Alasnam. 

Zeyn was educated with the greatest care. 
While, however, the prince was yet young, 
the good sultan fell sick of a disorder, which 
all the skill of his physicians could not cure, 
and presently he died. 

As soon as the mourning for his father was 
passed, Prince Zeyn began to show that he 
was unfit to govern a kingdom. He gave 
way to all kinds of dissipation and conferred 
on his youthful but evil associates the chief 
offices in the kingdom. He lost all the re- 
spect of his people and emptied his treasury. 

The queen, his mother, tried to correct her 

2i8 


PRINCE ZEYN ALASNAM 219 

son’s conduct, assuring him that if he did not 
take another course, he would cause some 
revolution, which perhaps might cost him 
his crown and his life. What she thus fore- 
told had nearly happened. The people be- 
gan to murmur against the government, and 
their murmurs would certainly have been 
followed by a general revolt if the sultan 
had not listened to his mother and suffered 
himself to be prevailed on. He dismissed his 
youthful advisers and committed the govern- 
ment to discreet aged men. 

Zeyn, seeing all his wealth consumed, re- 
pented that he had made no better use of it. 
He fell into a profound melancholy and 
nothing could comfort him- One night he 
saw in a dream a venerable old man coming 
towards him, who with a smiling counte- 
nance said: “Know, Zeyn, that there is no 
sorrow but what is followed by mirth; no 
misfortune but what in the end brings some 
happiness. If you desire to see the end of 
your affliction, set out for Grand Cairo, 
where great prosperity awaits you.” 

The young sultan was much struck with 
his dream, and spoke of it very seriously to 


220 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

his mother, who only laughed at it. “My 
son,” said she, “would you leave your king- 
dom and go into Egypt on the faith of a 
dream, which may be illusive?” 

“Why not, madam?” answered Zeyn; “do 
you imagine all dreams are worthless? No, 
no, they often are divinely inspired. The 
old man who appeared to me had something 
holy about his person. I rely on the prom- 
ises he has made me, and am resolved to 
follow his advice.” 

The queen endeavored to dissuade him, 
but in vain. The sultan entreated her to 
undertake the government of the kingdom, 
and set out one night very privately from his 
palace and took the road to Cairo, alone and 
unattended. 

After much trouble and fatigue he arrived 
at that famous city. He alighted at the gate 
of a mosque, where, being spent with weari- 
ness, he lay down. No sooner was he fallen 
asleep than he saw the same old man, who 
said to him: “I am pleased with you, my 
son. You have believed me, and now I want 
you to know that I have not imposed on you 
this long journey with any other design than 


PRINCE ZEYN ALASNAM 221 


to try you. I find you have courage and 
resolution. You deserve I should make you 
the richest and happiest prince in the world. 
Return to Bussorah and you shall find im- 
mense wealth in your palace. No king ever 
possessed so rich a treasure.” 

Prince Zeyn was not pleased with his 
dream. “Alas!” thought he to himself when 
he awoke, “how much was I mistaken! That 
old man is no other than the production of 
my disturbed imagination. My fancy was 
so full of him that it is no wonder I have 
seen him again. I had best return to Bus- 
sorah. What should I do here any longer? 
It is fortunate that I told none but my mother 
the motive of my journey. I should become 
a jest to my people were they to know it.” 

Accordingly, he set out for his kingdom, 
and as soon as he arrived there the queen 
asked him whether he returned well pleased. 
He told her all that had happened, and was 
so much concerned for having been so fool- 
ish that the queen, instead of adding to his 
vexation by reproving or laughing at him, 
comforted him. “Forbear afflicting your- 
self, my son,” said she; “if God has appointed 


222 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

you riches, you will have them without any 
trouble. Be contented. Apply yourself to 
making your subjects happy. By securing 
their happiness you will establish your own.” 

Sultan Zeyn vowed that he would for the 
future follow his mother’s advice and be 
directed by the wise viziers she had chosen 
to assist him in the government. But the 
very night after he returned to his palace 
he saw the old man the third time in a dream, 
who said to him: “The time of your pros- 
perity is come, brave Zeyn. To-morrow 
morning, as soon as you are up, take a pick- 
axe and dig in the late sultan’s private room. 
You will there find a rich treasure. 

As soon as the sultan awoke he got up, 
ran to the queen’s apartment, and with much 
eagerness told her the new dream of that 
night. “Really, my son,” said the queen, 
smiling, “this is a very queer old man; but 
have you a mind to believe him again? At 
any rate, the task now enjoined on you is 
not so bad as your former long journeys.” 

“Well, madam,” answered the sultan, “I 
must own that this third dream has restored 
my confidence. Last night he exactly pointed 


PRINCE ZEYN ALASNAM 223 

out to me the place where the treasures are. 
I would rather search in vain than blame 
myself as long as I live for having, perhaps, 
missed great riches, by being too unbe- 
lieving.” 

Having spoken thus he left the queen’s 
apartment, caused a pick-axe to be brought 
to him, and went alone into the late sultan’s 
private room. He immediately began work, 
and took up more than half the square stones 
it was paved with, yet saw not the least ap- 
pearance of what he sought. He ceased 
working to take a little rest, thinking within 
himself, “I am much afraid my mother had 
cause enough to laugh at me.” 

However, he took heart and went on with 
his labor, until he discovered a white slab, 
which he took up, and under it found a 
staircase of white marble. He immediately 
lighted a lamp and went down the stairs 
into a room, the floor whereof was laid with 
tiles of chinaware, while the roof and walls 
were of crystal. The room contained four 
golden tables, on each of which were ten 
urns of porphyry. He went up to one of 
the urns, took off the cover, and, with no 


224 THE jade story book 

less joy than surprise, perceived it was full 
of pieces of gold. He looked into all the 
forty, one after another, and found them 
full of the same coin, and taking out a hand- 
ful, he carried it to the queen. 

The queen, as may be imagined, was 
amazed when the sultan gave her an account 
of what he had discovered. “Oh my son!” 
said she, “take heed you do not squander all 
this wealth foolishly, as you have already 
done the royal treasure. Let not your en- 
emies have so much occasion to rejoice.” 

“No, madam,” answered Zeyn, “I will 
henceforward live in such a manner as shall 
be pleasing to you.” 

The queen desired her son to conduct her 
to the wonderful underground place, which 
the late sultan her husband had made with 
such secrecy that she had never heard of it. 
Zeyn led her to the private room, down the 
marble stairs, and into the chamber where 
the urns were. She observed everything with 
the eye of curiosity, and in a corner spied 
a little urn of the same sort of stone as the 
others. The prince had not before taken 
notice of it, but, opening it, found inside 


PRINCE ZEYN ALASNAM 225 

a golden key. “My son,” said the queen, 
“this key certainly belongs to some other 
treasure. Let us search well. Perhaps we 
may discover the use it is designed for.” 

They examined the chamber with the ut- 
most exactness and at length found a keyhole 
in one of the panels of the wall. The sultan 
immediately tried the key, and readily 
opened the door which led into a chamber. 
In the midst of this room were nine pedestals 
of massy gold, on eight of which stood as 
many statues, each of them made of a single 
diamond, and from them darted such a 
brightness that the whole room was perfectly 
light. 

“Oh heavens!” cried Zehn, in astonish- 
ment, “where could my father find such 
rarities?” 

The ninth pedestal redoubled this amaze- 
ment, for it was covered with a piece of 
white satin, on which were written these 
words: “Dear son, it cost me much toil 
to procure these eight statues; but though 
they are extraordinarily beautiful, you must 
understand that there is a ninth in the world, 
which surpasses them all. That alone is 


226 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

worth more than a thousand such as these. 
If you desire to be master of it, go to the 
city of Cairo in Egypt. One of my old 
slaves, whose name is Mobarec, lives there. 
You will easily find him. Visit him and 
tell him all that has befallen you. He will 
conduct you to the place where that won- 
derful statue is, which you will obtain with 
safety.” 

The young sultan having read these words 
said to the queen, “I will set out for Grand 
Cairo; nor do I believe, madam, that you 
will now oppose my design.” 

“No, my son,” answered the queen, “I am 
not against it.” 

The prince made ready his equipage, but 
would take only a small number of slaves 
with him. 

Nothing remarkable befell him by the 
way, but arriving at Cairo he inquired for 
Mobarec. The people told him he was 
one of the wealthiest inhabitants of the city; 
that he lived like a great lord, and that his 
house was open, especially for strangers. 
Zeyn was conducted thither, knocked at the 


PRINCE ZEYN ALASNAM 227 

gate, which a slave opened and demanded, 
“What is it you want, and who are you?” 

“I am a stranger,” answered the prince, 
“and having heard much of the lord Mo* 
barec’s generosity, am come to take up my 
lodging with him.” 

The slave desired Zeyn to wait while he 
went to acquaint his master, who ordered 
him to request the stranger to walk in. The 
slave returned to the gate and told the prince 
he was welcome. 

Zeyn went in, crossed a large court, and 
entered a hall magnificently furnished, where 
Mobarec received him very courteously, re- 
turning thanks for the honor he did him in 
accepting a lodging in his house. The 
prince, having answered his compliment, said 
to Mobarec, “I am the son of the late Sultan 
of Bussorah, and my name is Zeyn Alasnam.” 

“That sovereign,” said Mobarec, “was for- 
merly my master; but I never knew he had 
any children. What is your age?” 

“I am twenty years old,” answered the 
sultan. “How long is it since you left my 
father’s court?” 

“Almost two-and-twenty years,” replied 


228 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

Mobarec. “But how can you convince me 
that you are his son?” 

“My father,” rejoined Zeyn, “had a sub- 
terraneous place under his private room in 
which I have found forty porphyry urns full 
of gold.” 

“And what more is there?” said Mobarec. 

“Nine pedestals of massive gold,” an- 
swered the prince, “on eight whereof are as 
many diamond statues, and on the ninth a 
piece of white satin, on which my father has 
written what I am to do to procure another 
statue, more valuable than all those together. 
You know where that statue is, for it is men- 
tioned on the satin that you will conduct me 
to it.” 

As soon as he had spoken these words, 
Mobarec fell down at his feet, and kissing 
one of his hands several times, said: “I bless 
God for having brought you hither. I know 
you to be the Sultan of Bussorah’s son. If 
you will go to the place where the wonderful 
statue is, I will conduct you; but you must 
first rest here for a short time. This day I 
entertain the great men of the city. Will 


PRINCE ZEYN ALASNAM 229 

you vouchsafe to come and be merry 
with us?” 

“I shall be very glad,” replied Zeyn, “to 
be admitted to your feast.” 

Mobarec immediately led him under a 
dome where the company was, seated him 
at the table, and served him. The merchants 
of Cairo were surprised and whispered to 
one another. “Who is this stranger to whom 
Mobarec pays so much respect?” 

When they had dined, Mobarec, directing 
his discourse to the company, said: “Know, 
my friends, that this young stranger is the 
son of the Sultan of Bussorah, my late master. 
His father purchased me and died without 
making me free; so that I am still a slave, 
and consequently all I have of right belongs 
to this young prince, his sole heir.” 

Here Zeyn interrupted him. “Mobarec,” 
said he, “I declare, before all these guests, 
that I make you free from this moment, and 
that I renounce all right to your person and 
all you possess. Consider what you would 
have me do more for you.” 

Mobarec kissed the ground and returned 
the prince most hearty thanks. 


230 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

The next day Zeyn said to Mobarec: “I 
have taken rest enough. I came not to Cairo 
for pleasure. My design is to obtain the 
ninth statue. It is time for us to set out in 
search of it.” 

“Sir,” said Mobarec, “I am ready to com- 
ply with your desires; but you know not what 
dangers you must encounter to make this 
precious acquisition.” 

“Whatsoever the danger may be,” an- 
swered the prince, “I have resolved to make 
the attempt. I will either perish or succeed. 
Do you but bear me company and let your 
resolution be equal to mine.” 

Mobarec, finding him determined to go, 
called his servants and ordered them to make 
ready his equipage. The prince and he then 
set out. They travelled many days. At 
length, being come to a delightful spot, they 
alighted from their horses. Mobarec then 
said to the servants that attended them, “Do 
you remain here till we return.” 

Then he said to Zeyn: “Now, sir, let us 
advance by ourselves. You will stand in 
need of all your courage.” 

They soon came to a vast lake. Mobarec 


PRINCE ZEYN ALASNAM 231 

sat down on the brink of it, saying to the 
prince, “We must cross this water.” 

“How can we,” asked Zeyn, “when we 
have no boat?” 

“You will see one appear in a moment,” 
replied Mobarec. “The enchanted boat of 
the Sultan of the Genii will come for us. 
But you must observe a profound silence. 
Do not speak to the boatman, and whatever 
extraordinary circumstance you observe, say 
nothing; for I tell you beforehand that if 
you utter one word when we are embarked, 
the boat will sink.” 

“I shall take care to be silent,” said the 
prince. “You need only tell me what I am 
to do, and I will strictly comply.” 

Whilst they were talking, he spied a boat 
made of red sandalwood on the lake. It 
had a mast of fine amber and a blue satin 
flag. There was only one boatman in it, 
and he had the head of an elephant and the 
body of a tiger. When the boat was come 
to the prince and Mobarec, the monstrous 
boatman took them up one after the other 
with his trunk, put them into his boat, and 
carried them over the lake in a moment. 


232 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

He then again took them up with his trunk, 
set them ashore, and immediately vanished 
with his boat. 

“Now we may talk,” said Mobarec. “The 
island we are in belongs to the King of the 
Genii. Look around you, prince. Can there 
be a more delightful spot? Behold the fields 
adorned with all sorts of flowers and plants. 
Admire those beautiful trees, whose branches 
bend down to the ground. Hear those har- 
monious songs from a thousand birds of as 
many various sorts, unknown in other coun- 
tries.” 

Zeyn could not sufficiently admire the 
beauties with which he was surrounded, and 
still found something new as he advanced 
farther into the island. 

At length they came before a palace built 
of emeralds, encompassed by a wide moat, 
on the banks whereof, at certain distances, 
were planted such tall trees that they shaded 
the whole palace. The gate was of massy 
gold and was approached by a bridge. At 
the entrance to the bridge stood a company 
of very tall genii, who guarded the portals 
of the castle with great clubs of steel. 


PRINCE ZEYN ALASNAM 233 

“Let us at present proceed no farther,” 
said Mobarec, “or these genii will destroy 
us; and in order to prevent their coming to 
us, we must perform a magic ceremony.” 

Then Mobarec laid on the ground two 
large mats, on the edges whereof he scattered 
some precious stones, musk, and amber. 
Afterwards he sat down on one of the mats, 
and Zeyn on the other, and Mobarec said 
to the prince: “I shall now conjure the 
Sultan of the Genii, who lives in the palace 
that is before us. If our coming into this 
island is displeasing to him, he will appear 
in the shape of a dreadful monster; but if 
he approves of your design, he will show 
himself in the shape of a handsome man. 
As soon as he appears before us, you must 
rise and salute him, without going off your 
mat; for you would certainly perish should 
you stir from it. You must say to him, ‘Lord 
of the Genii, I wish your majesty may pro- 
tect me, as you always protected my father; 
and I most humbly beg you to give me the 
ninth statue.’ ” 

Mobarec, having thus instructed Prince 
Zeyn, began his conjuration. Immediately 


234 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

their eyes were dazzled by a long flash of 
lightning, which was followed by a clap of 
thunder. The whole island was covered 
with a thick darknes, a furious storm of wind 
blew, a dreadful cry was heard, the island 
felt a shock as if of an earthquake, and the 
Sultan of the Genii appeared in the shape 
of a very handsome man, yet there was some- 
thing terrific in his air. 

As soon as King Zeyn had prostrated him- 
self and spoken as he had been taught by 
Mobarec, the Sultan of the Genii, smiling, 
answered: “My son, I loved your father, 
and every time he came to pay me his re- 
spects, I presented him with a statue, which 
he carried away with him. I have no less 
kindness for you. I obliged your father, 
some days before he died, to write that which 
you read on the piece of white satin. I 
promised him to receive you under my pro- 
tection, and to give you the ninth statue, 
which in beauty surpasses those you have 
already. I had begun to perform my prom- 
ise to him, for it was I whom you saw in a 
dream in the shape of an old man. I caused 
you to open the underground place where 


PRINCE ZEYN ALASNAM 235 

the urns and the statues are deposited. I 
know the motive that brought you hither. 
You shall obtain what you desire on certain 
conditions. You must return with Mobarec, 
and you must swear to come again to me, 
and to bring with you a young maiden who 
has reached her twentieth year, and who has 
never entertained a wish to be married. She 
must also be perfectly beautiful; and you 
so much a master of yourself as not to deter- 
mine to keep her for your wife, as you are 
conducting her hither. I will give you a 
looking-glass, which will clearly reflect no 
other image than that of the young maiden 
you are in search of. Now swear to me to 
observe these conditions and keep your oath 
like a man of honor. Otherwise I will take 
away your life, notwithstanding the kindness 
I have for you.” 

Zeyn Alasnam accepted the conditions and 
swore that he would faithfully keep his 
word. The Sultan of the Genii then deliv- 
ered to him a looking-glass, saying: “My 
son, you may return when you please. There 
is the glass you are to use.” 

Zeyn and Mobarec took leave of the Sultan 


236 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

of the Genii and went towards the lake. The 
boatman with the elephant’s head brought 
the boat and ferried them over the lake as 
he had done before. They joined their serv- 
ants and returned with them to Cairo. 

The young sultan rested a few days at 
Mobarec’s house and then said to him, 
“Let us go to Bagdad, to seek a maiden for 
the Sovereign of the Genii.” 

“Why, are we not at Grand Cairo?” said 
Mobarec. “Shall we not there find beautiful 
maidens?” 

“You are in the right,” answered the 
prince; “but how shall we learn where they 
are?” 

“Do not trouble yourself about that,” an- 
swered Mobarec. “I know a very shrewd 
old woman, whom I will intrust with the 
affair, and she will acquit herself well.” 

Accordingly, the old woman found means 
to show King Zeyn a considerable number 
of beautiful maidens of twenty years of age; 
but when he had viewed them, and came 
to consult his glass, it always appeared sul- 
lied. All the maidens in the court and city 
who were in their twentieth year underwent 


PRINCE ZEYN ALASNAM 237 

the trial one after another, but the glass never 
remained bright and clear. 

When Zeyn and Mobarec saw there were 
no maidens to be found in Cairo who did not 
wish to be married, they went to Bagdad, 
where they hired a magnificent palace, and 
soon made acquaintance with the chief peo- 
ple of the city. 

There lived at Bagdad at this time an 
imaum* of much repute and noted for his 
charity. His name was Boubekir Muezin. 
To him Mobarec went and offered a purse 
of five hundred gold pieces, in the name 
of Prince Zeyn, to distribute among the poor. 
On the next day, Boubekir Muezin waited 
on Prince Zeyn to return to him his thanks; 
and on hearing the purpose of his visit to 
Bagdad, told him of a young maiden, the 
daughter of a former vizier of the Sultan 
of Bagdad, whom he was assured would 
fulfil the terms required by Prince Zeyn, 
and offered to ask her from her father as the 
wife of the prince if he would go with him 
to her father’s mansion. The prince accom- 


* Imaum: The officer in Mohammedan mosques who recites 
the prayers and leads the devotions. 


238 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

panied the imaun to the vizier’s; and the 
vizier, as soon as he was acquainted with the 
prince’s birth and design, called his daughter 
and made her take off her veil. Never had 
the young Sultan of Bussorah beheld such 
a perfect and striking beauty. He pulled 
out his glass, which remained bright and 
unsullied. 

When he perceived he had at length found 
such a person as he desired, he entreated the 
vizier to grant her to him. Immediately the 
cadi was sent for, the contract signed, and the 
marriage prayer said. After this ceremony, 
Zeyn conducted the vizier to his house, where 
he treated him magnificently and gave him 
considerable presents. Next day he sent a 
vast quantity of jewels by Mobarec, who 
conducted the bride home, where the wed- 
ding was celebrated with all the pomp that 
became Zeyn’s rank and dignity. When all 
the company was dismissed Mobarec said 
to his master: “Let us begone, sir, let us 
not stay any longer at Bagdad, but return 
to Cairo. Remember the promise you made 
the Sultan of the Genii.” 

“Let us go,” answered the prince; “I must 


PRINCE ZEYN ALASNAM 239 

take care to do exactly as I agreed; yet I 
must confess, my dear Mobarec, that, if I 
obey the Sultan of the Genii, it is not without 
reluctance. The damsel I have married 
is so charming that I am tempted to carry 
her to Bussorah and place her on the throne.” 

“Alas! sir,” answered Mobarec, “take heed 
how you give way to your inclination. What- 
ever it costs you, be as good as your word 
to the Sultan of the Genii.” 

“Well, then, Mobarec,” said the prince, 
“do you take care to conceal the lovely maid 
from me. Let her never appear in my sight — 
perhaps I have already seen too much of 
her.” 

Mobarec made all ready for their depart- 
ure. They returned to Cairo and thence set 
out for the island of the Sultan of the Genii. 
When they arrived, the maid, who had per- 
formed the journey in a litter, and whom the 
prince had never seen since his marriage, 
said to Mobarec: “Where are we? Shall 
we soon be in the dominions of the prince my 
husband?” 

“Madam,” answered Mobarec, “it is time 
to undeceive you. Prince Zeyn married you 


2 4 o THE JADE STORY BOOK 

only in order to get you from your father. 
He did not intend to make you Sovereign of 
Bussorah, but to deliver you to the Sultan 
of the Genii.” 

At these words she began to weep bit- 
terly, which moved the prince and Mobarec. 
“Take pity on me,” said she. “I am a 
stranger. You will be accountable to God 
for your treachery towards me.” 

Her tears and complaints were of no 
effect, for she was presented to the Sultan 
of the Genii, who having gazed on her with 
attention, said to Zeyn: “Prince, I am 
satisfied with your behavior. The maiden 
you have brought me is beautiful and good, 
and I am pleased with the restraint you have 
put on yourself to fulfil your promise to me. 
Return to your dominions, and when you 
enter the underground room, where the eight 
statues are, you shall find the ninth which I 
promised you. I will make my genii carry 
it thither.” 

Zeyn thanked the King of the Genii, and 
returned to Cairo with Mobarec, but did 
not stay long in Egypt, for his impatience to 
see the ninth statue made him hasten his 


PRINCE ZEYN ALASNAM 241 

departure. However, he could not but often 
think regretfully of the young girl he had 
married and blame himself for having de- 
ceived her. “Alas!” said he to himself, “I 
have taken her from a tender father to sac- 
rifice her to a genie. Oh, wonderful beauty! 
You deserve a better fate.” 

Sultan Zeyn, disturbed with these thoughts, 
at length reached Bussorah, where his sub- 
jects made extraordinary rejoicings for his 
return. He went directly to give an account 
of his journey to his mother, who was in a 
rapture to hear that he had obtained the 
ninth statue. “Let us go, my son,” said she, 
“and see it, for it is certainly in the under- 
ground chamber, since the Sultan of the 
Genii said you should find it there.” 

The young sultan and his mother being 
both impatient to see the wonderful statue, 
went down into the room of the statues; but 
how great was their surprise, when, instead 
of a statue of diamonds, they beheld on the 
ninth pedestal a most beautiful girl, whom 
the prince knew to be the same whom he had 
conducted to the island of the genii! 
“Prince,” said the young maid, “you are 


242 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

surprised to see me here. You expected to 
have found something more precious than 
me, and I question not but that you now 
repent having taken so much trouble. You 
expected a better reward.” 

“Madam,” answered Zeyn, “Heaven is my 
witness that I more than once had nearly 
broken my word with the Sultan of the 
Genii by keeping you myself. Whatever be 
the value of a diamond statue, it is worth the 
satisfaction of having you mine? I love you 
above all the diamonds and wealth in the 
world.” 

Just as he had done speaking, a clap of 
thunder was heard, which shook the sub- 
terraneous place. Zeyn’s mother was 
alarmed, but the Sultan of the Genii imme- 
diately appearing dispelled her fear. 
“Madam,” said he to her, “I protect and 
love your son. I had a mind to try, 
whether, at his age, he could subdue him- 
self. This is the ninth statue I designed 
for him. It is more rare and precious than 
the others. Live happy, Zeyn, with this your 
wife,” said he, directing his discourse to 
the young prince, “and if you would have 


PRINCE ZEYN ALASNAM 243 

her true and constant to you, love her always 
and love her only.” 

Having spoken these words, the Sultan of 
the Genii vanished, and Zeyn, enchanted with 
the young lady, the same day caused her to 
be proclaimed Queen of Bussorah, over 
which they reigned in mutual happiness to 
an advanced age. 


THE DYED JACKAL 


ONCE upon a time a Jackal, who was prowl- 
ing around the suburbs of a town, fell into 
an indigo-tank. He found that he was un- 
able to get out of this, and so lay down 
as though he were dead. 

In due time the dyer came to the tank, 
and finding what he supposed to be a dead 
Jackal, took him out and threw him into the 
jungle. 

When the dyer was far enough away the 
Jackal scrambled to his feet, and looking 
himself over found his color changed to a 
beautiful blue. 

“Now,” he said to himself, “I am certainly 
much prettier than I was before; why should 
not this accident prove to be a good thing 
for me. When the other jackals see my 
wonderful color, it should be easy for me 
to persuade them that I should be their 
king.” 


244 


THE DYED JACKAL 245 

So he got the jackals of the jungle to- 
gether, and said to them: “Good people, 
the Goddess of the Wood has annointed me 
king. Behold the hue of royalty! And 
after this do no business without my per- 
mission.” 

The jackals were overcome by the distin- 
guished color, and promised obedience, and 
so began the reign of the dyed Jakal. But 
soon he was not content just to rule over 
his own kind, whom he began to despise, 
so he declared himself king of the lions and 
tigers, from among whom he selected his 
special attendants, keeping his own kindred 
at a distance, as though he were ashamed 
of them. 

Of course, this made the jackals very in- 
dignant, and some of them took counsel to- 
gether to see what could be done about it. 

One of the wise old beasts addressed them, 
saying: “Leave this impostor to me. The 
lions and tigers and the rest think he is a 
king because he is colored blue, but we must 
show them his true colors. Now, do as 
I tell you. When night comes, all of you 
gather around him, and set up a great yell 


246 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

together. He is sure to join in as he used 
to do, for 

“ ‘Hard it is to conquer nature: if a dog 
were made a king, 

Mid the coronation trumpets, he would gnaw 
his sandal-string.’ 

“And when he yells, the lions and tigers 
will know him to be a jackal, and fall upon 
him.” 

They did just what the wise old beast had 
suggested, and the thing befell exactly as 
he said it would. And so ended the reign 
of the dyed jackal. 


WHY DOGS WAG THEIR TAILS 


A RICH man in a certain town once owned 
a dog and a cat, both of which were very 
useful to him. The dog had served his 
master for many years and had become so 
old that he had lost his teeth and was unable 
to fight any more, but he was a good guide 
and companion to the cat, who was strong 
and cunning. 

The master had a daughter who was 
attending school at a convent some distance 
from home, and very often he sent the dog 
and the cat with presents to the girl. 

One day he called the faithful animals and 
bade them carry a magic ring to his daughter. 

“You are strong and brave,” he said to 
the cat. “You may carry the ring, but you 
must be careful not to drop it.” 

And to the dog he said: “You must ac- 
company the cat to guide her and keep her 
from harm.” 


247 


248 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

They promised to do their best and started 
out. All went well until they came to a 
river. As there was neither bridge nor boat, 
there was no way to cross but to swim. 

“Let me take the magic ring,” said the dog 
as they were about to plunge into the water. 

“Oh, no,” replied the cat, “the master 
gave it to me to carry.” 

“But you cannot swim well,” argued the 
dog. “I am strong and can take good care 
of it.” 

But the cat refused to give up the ring 
until finally the dog threatened to kill her, 
and then she reluctantly gave it to him. 

The river was wide and the water so 
swift that they grew very tired, and just 
before they reached the opposite bank the 
dog dropped the ring. They searched care- 
fully, but could not find it anywhere, and 
after awhile they turned back to tell their 
master of the sad loss. Just before reaching 
the house, however, the dog was so overcome 
with fear that he turned and ran away and 
never was seen again. 

The cat went on alone, and when the 
master saw her coming he called out to 


DOGS WAG THEIR TAILS 249 

know why she had returned so soon and what 
had become of her companion. The poor 
cat was frightened, but as well as she could 
she explained how the ring had been lost 
and how the dog had run away. 

On hearing her story the master was very 
angry, and commanded that all his people 
should search for the dog, and that it should 
be punished by having its tail cut off. 

He also ordered that all dogs in the world 
should join in the search, and ever since 
when one dog meets another, he says: “Are 
you the old dog that lost the magic ring? If 
so, your tail must be cut off.” Then imme- 
diately each shows his teeth and wags his 
tail to prove that he is not the guilty one. 

Since then, too, cats have been afraid of 
water and will not swim across a river if they 
can avoid it. 


PRINCE VARNA 

THERE was once a Rajah whose wife died, 
leaving to her husband a little son, who 
was a great comfort to his grief-stricken 
father. In due time the young prince was 
christened and his godmother was a princess 
who was known far and wide for her wisdom 
and kindness, and everyone called her “the 
good queen.” She named the little prince 
Varna, and loved him as though he were 
her own son. 

When Varna was three years old the 
Rajah married a princess of great beauty, but 
who was hard-hearted and cruel. In the 
course of time a second prince was born, 
and the queen was filled with jealous rage 
at the thought that Varna, and not her own 
son, was heir to the throne. But she was 
very careful not to let the Rajah discover 
her real feelings. 

In the mountain there lived an old witch 

250 


PRINCE VARNA 


251 

whom the queen knew well, and she sent 
to her a trusty servant, asking that she find 
some way of getting rid of her stepson, who 
stood in the way of her own son. But the 
witch replied that she could work no harm 
against the young prince, because he was 
under the protection of his godmother, whose 
power was greater than her own. 

The “good queen” lived in a country which 
was far away, but was able to keep herself 
well-informed of all that went on, and she 
knew what the wicked queen desired. She 
sent to the young prince a ring of jade with 
instructions that he must always wear it, 
as it would protect him from all harm while 
in his father’s country. But as a talisman 
this ring was useless elsewhere. This the 
wicked queen knew, so she made every effort 
to entice him away from his father’s do- 
minions. 

Her efforts met with no success, but cir- 
cumstances brought about that which she 
herself had been unable to. When the young 
prince was fifteen years old his father’s only 
sister, who had married the king of a distant 
country, wrote to her brother begging him 


252 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

to permit his son to pay her a visit, as she 
greatly desired to see the nephew of whom 
she had received the most excellent reports. 

The Rajah at first refused to allow Varna 
to leave the country, as he was fearful that 
harm might come to him, but his sister en- 
treated and his wife insisted, so he finally 
gave his consent, although reluctantly. 

Varna was both good and handsome. When 
an infant he had been placed in the care 
of one of the court ladies, who afterward 
became his governess, and between them ex- 
isted a great affection, which was shared 
equally by the lady’s daughter Zaida. When 
he became old enough to need the guidance 
of a tutor and guardian, this lady’s husband 
took her place, and they both loved him as 
though he were their own son. 

At length the young prince set forth on his 
journey, accompanied by his tutor and former 
governess and a numerous retinue. All went 
well until they left his father’s dominions, 
when the talisman lost its power to protect 
him. They were crossing a desert under a 
burning sun and at length reached an oasis, 
where the caravan rested. Suddenly Varna 


PRINCE VARNA 


253 

sprang from his carriage, and immediately- 
disappeared. As time went on and he did 
not return, the tutor and his wife were filled 
with alarm. They sought for him in every 
possible place, but could not find him. 

Sadly they mingled their tears, for they 
were sure that this was the work of the 
wicked queen and the witch of the moun- 
tain. Suddenly they heard a voice, which 
came from the branches of a tree beneath 
which they were sitting. Looking up, they 
saw a large bird, which said to them: “You 
seek your prince in vain. Return to your 
own country and tell the king that many 
moons shall come and go before his son shall 
be restored.” There was nothing else to do, 
so they sorrowfully went home, and when 
they told their sad news to the king he was 
so deeply grieved that he was stricken with 
a severe sickness from which he never re- 
covered. 

The wicked queen was now happy; her 
son was the Rajah, and she wielded all the 
authority. The power that was hers made 
her harsher and more cruel than ever, and 
the people soon began to hate her, especially 


254 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

as they believed that it was she who had 
caused the disappearance of Prince Varna. 
Fortunately, her son was loved by his sub- 
jects, for he was kind and noble, and only 
this kept them from rebellion. 

One day, about three years after the sup- 
posed death of Prince Varna, the young 
Rajah was out hunting, a sport of which he 
was very fond. He and his courtiers stopped 
to rest at a pleasant spot, and refreshments 
were prepared for them. While at luncheon 
his attention was attracted to a bird of bril- 
liant red plumage which was perched on the 
branch of a tree. Taking some crumbs, he 
threw them beneath the tree, and the bird 
flew down and ate them. 

Cautioning his courtiers to make no noise, 
he gradually approached the gaily clad bird, 
which, to his surprise, did not fly away. In 
the open palm of his hand were more 
crumbs, and the bird actually hopped to- 
wards him and ate these too. 

Such confidence and lack of fear quite 
moved the Rajah, who resolved to take his 
little feathered friend home with him. He 
tenderly stroked its pretty feathers, and the 


PRINCE VARNA 255 

bird made no effort to fly away. Soon it 
nestled on his shoulder and stayed there 
until the party returned to the palace. 

The young ruler became greatly attached 
to his new pet, and would allow no one 
but himself to look after it. He even took 
it with him when he went out walking — the 
bird on his shoulder. 

One day when they were out together the 
prince passed the house where Varna’s for- 
mer governess and her daughter lived. Both 
of them were sitting by an open window, 
and suddenly the bird flew from its master’s 
shoulder to the window sill. It looked right 
into the eyes of both mother and daughter 
and boldly approached them. This utter 
absence of fear, and also, perhaps, the bright 
red plumage, attracted them as it had the 
Rajah, and they at once fell in love with it. 

The Rajah soon missed his pet, and look- 
ing about saw the two ladies caressing it. He 
called and whistled, but the bird paid no 
attention to him. He then entered the house, 
intending to take the bird away, but when 
he reached the room in which they were it 


256 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

flew up to the ceiling where it could not 
be reached. 

After spending some time in vain efforts 
to capture the bird, the ladies begged the 
Rajah to leave it with them for a few days, 
promising to take the greatest care of it. 
To this he consented, and at once, as though 
understanding all that was said, the bird 
flew to Zaida and nestled on her shoulder. 

That night the mother dreamed that she 
saw the “good queen,” who told her to go 
to a certain tree in her garden and to lift 
up a large stone which she would find be- 
neath it. There she would find a small phial 
which was filled with bright red liquid. 
This she was to sprinkle over the Rajah’s 
bird. 

This dream made such an impression upon 
the former governess that in the morning, 
as soon as she arose, she hastened to the 
garden. The stone was there beneath the 
tree, and upon removing this she saw the 
phial containing the bright red liquid. 

Hurrying back to the house she told her 
daughter about the dream, and showed her 
the small bottle she had found. 


PRINCE VARNA 


257 

Without a word Zaida held out her hand, 
to which the bird at once flew. Her mother 
removed the cork and sprinkled the contents 
of the phial over the bright red feathers, 
and there before them stood the handsome 
Prince Varna. 

Great was the joy of this meeting, and 
when they were somewhat composed the 
ladies asked the prince to tell them of his 
adventures. 

He told them that when his carriage had 
stopped at the oasis some force had com- 
pelled him to spring from it, and he found 
himself transformed at once into a bird. 
Many times had he tried to reach his own 
country, but was unable to do so until now. 
He had suffered greatly, and his only com- 
fort was when the good queen visited him. 
It was through her that he was at last en- 
abled to meet his brother, and finally be 
turned again into human form. 

It was not long before the Queen learned 
from the witch of the mountain that Prince 
Varna had returned, and she immediately 
sought to destroy him. Hastening to her 
son she said that some ill-disposed subjects 


258 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

were plotting to dethrone him, and that they 
had set up an impostor who they declared 
to be Prince Varna. 

The Rajah told her to have no fear, and 
that he would soon find the conspirators and 
properly punish them. He made inquiries 
and found that Prince Varna was at the 
house of his former governess, so he went 
there at once, determined to find out the 
truth for himself. 

The two ladies and Prince Varna were in 
earnest conversation when the Rajah reached 
their house, and great was his astonishment 
to find that this was really his long lost 
brother, whom he immediately recognized. 

“Brother,” said he, “I came here thinking 
to find an impostor, but it makes me happy 
to see alive you whom we have so long 
mourned as dead. The throne is yours, and 
I am your most loyal subject.” 

The two brothers embraced one another 
with great affection, and then hastened to 
the royal palace, where, in the presence of 
the entire court, the crown was placed upon 
Varna’s head by his brother himself. This 


PRINCE VARNA 259 

defeat of the wicked queen’s plans was so 
great a shock to her that she immediately 
perished. 

The new Rajah and the lovely Zaida were 
soon married, and to their great joy the 
good queen herself attended the wedding. 
Her most valued gift was the assurance that 
the witch of the mountain had no more 
power over him. 

Varna insisted that his noble brother share 
the throne with him, and no ruler was ever 
more beloved by faithful and loyal subjects 
than was each of these. 


EMPRESS JANQWI AND THE 
MAGICIANS 


THOUSANDS of years ago, when China was 
peopled by giants, that country was ruled 
by a great Empress named Janqwi, who came 
to the throne when her brother, Emperor 
Fugi, died. This story tells how the heavens 
and one of the pillars which upheld the 
sky were damaged during a rebellion raised 
by one of her subjects, and how she mended 
the broken parts. 

The man who rebelled was a wicked and 
fearsome magician named Korkwi, a giant 
quite terrible to look upon. He was twenty- 
eight feet tall, whose face and body were 
entirely covered with coal-black hair, so it 
can be imagined that he was anything but 
beautiful. 

It had long been his desire to rule the 
country, so when Fugi died, he thought his 
opportunity had come. But Janqwi was 
260 


EMPRESS JANQWI 261 

too clever for him, and she mounted the 
throne which was rightly hers. 

This so enraged Korkwi that he raised a 
large army and defied the Empress. The 
next thing he did was to use his wizard’s 
power, and flood the country, so that thou- 
sands of people were drowned. This meant 
war between the Empress and Korkwi. 

Among the warriors of Janqwi were two 
brilliant young warriors named Haki and 
Oku, and the first of these she appointed to 
command that part of the army which would 
be first to engage the enemy. 

This great honor delighted Haki, and he 
at once made himself ready for battle. He 
had mounted his favorite charger and had 
just started for the front when he heard his 
name called loudly by someone who was 
galloping behind him. He looked around 
and saw his friend Oku, who said to him: 
“Halt, Haki! I intend to lead the first 
army!” 

This enraged Haki, who exclaimed: “You 
are insolent! The Empress Janqwi has ap- 
pointed me to lead our warriors into battle; 
your place is with the reserves.” 


262 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

To this Oku replied: “It is my right to 
lead the first army, and yours to follow.” 

Then Haki lunged at Oku with his sword, 
but the latter caused his horse to swerve 
quickly, and with his lance he wounded 
Haki’s steed. 

Haki at once dismounted and prepared to 
rush at his comrade when Oku, with light- 
ning rapidity, tore the badge of leadership 
from Haki’s helmet, and galloped quickly 
away. 

Now the Empress had seen all of this 
through the palace window, and she could 
not help admiring the dexterity of the am- 
bitious Oku, so she divided the leadership 
of the front army between them, making 
Oku commander of the left wing and Haki 
of the right. So the two became friends 
again, and they marched against Korkwi at 
the head of a hundred thousand soldiers. 

They soon reached the place which the 
rebel had fortified, and Korkwi thought it 
would be easy, with all the power that he 
possessed, to frighten them into submission. 
Seizing an imense iron rod, he mounted a 
powerful black horse, and with a roar like 


EMPRESS JANQWI 263 

an angry lion he charged his foes. But he 
found that Haki and Oku did not fear him. 

He was coming toward them at a terrific 
rate, and the two comrades said to each 
other: “We will attack him from right 
and left, and not allow him to escape alive.” 
But the wizard was a fierce fighter, and his 
iron rod a fearful weapon. For a long time 
they fought without either side gaining. 

Then Korkwi aimed a blow at Haki’s 
head, and in order to avoid this Haki turned 
his horse too quickly, so that the animal’s 
rear hoof struck against a large stone. 

The horse suddenly reared up straight, 
and threw Haki to the ground, and Korkwi 
thought he had his enemy at his mercy. 
Drawing his huge sword, he was about to 
sever his head from his body when Oku 
wheeled his horse right in front of him, and 
at once attacked the magician. 

Now the brunt of the fight had fallen to 
Haki’s lot, so that Oku was fresher than 
his friend. Korkwi was tired, and did not 
fancy engaging the young warrior, so he 
turned and fled. 

Haki had been only stunned by the fall, 


264 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

and he soon recovered. He rushed after 
Korkwi on foot, while Oku pursued on 
horseback. Korkwi turned, and fitting an 
arrow to his bow, aimed the shaft at Oku, 
who, being on horseback, was ahead of his 
comrade. Just in time Oku swerved, so 
that the arrow missed him. 

When the wizard saw that he had failed 
to kill either of his pursuers, he saw that he 
would have to use his magic power in order 
to save himself, so he stretched forth his 
wand, and there came a great wave which 
engulfed Janqwi’s army and the two young 
generals. 

Haki and Oku were struggling in the 
water, and Korkwi went after them with his 
iron rod, ready to strike. Suddenly a small 
island seemed to lift itself out of the water 
right in front of them, and upon it stood 
an old man, with snow white hair. He 
stretched out his hands over the water, which 
went to the right and to the left, leaving a 
dry path by means of which the young 
warriors reached the island. 

Seeing that his enemies were now safe, 
Korkwi turned furiously upon their pre- 


EMPRESS JANQWI 265 

server. He rushed upon the old man, who 
merely laughed and then turned into a 
beautiful white bird and flew away. 

All thought of further fighting was for the 
time abandoned. Haki and Oku saw that 
it was useless for them, being only human, 
to fight aginst Korkwi, who possessed super- 
natural powers, so they returned to the 
Empress, who decided to call on Shiku, the 
Fire King, for aid. 

Now the Fire King lived at the South 
Pole, where all was snow and ice, for he 
burned up everything else around him. He 
also was a giant, with a face like marble and 
whose hair and beard were snow white. He 
was master of all fire, as Korkwi was of 
water, and his strength was marvelous. 

The Empress sent Oku to the South Pole 
to ask Shiku for help, and this the Fire King 
at once promised to give. He then told 
Oku that it was he who had saved the two 
young generals from drowning, and Oku 
thanked him for coming to their rescue. 

Shiku and Oku returned to the Empress, 
who made the Fire King Commander-in- 
Chief of her army. He told her to have no 


266 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

fear, for he would certainly vanquish their 
enemy. 

The new general was aware of the source 
of the magician’s power, and he instructed 
all of the soldiers to gather large quantities 
of a certain plant. This was done, and a 
great fire was made of all that was collected, 
and then everyone was ordered to fill a bag 
full of the ashes. 

Shiku, accompanied by Haki and Oku, 
marched at the head of his army against 
Korkwi, who, knowing that water would 
extinguish fire, laughed at him. As the 
army approached, the magician caused the 
water to rise, thinking to speedily destroy 
his foes. But Shiku showed no fear; he 
ordered every soldier to scatter the ashes 
they carried, and this mingling with the 
water, turned into a sort of clay, thus stop- 
ping the progress of the water. 

When Korkwi saw that Shiku was his 
superior in wisdom, he became furious with 
rage, and charged the enemy headlong. 

Oku rode to meet him, and soon the two 
were engaged in deadly combat. For a long 
time they fought without advantage to either, 


EMPRESS JANQWI 267 

then Oku began to tire, and his comrade, 
seeing this, took his place. Being fresh, he 
began to prove more than a match for 
Korkwi, who now desired to retire from the 
fight. So he artfully said: 

“It was courageous on your part to risk 
your life for your friend, and I wish to show 
how highly I esteem such valor. Far be 
it from me to slay such a man.” 

With this he turned his horse in retreat; 
but his idea was to take Haki off his guard, 
and then to turn on him and kill him with- 
out mercy. 

But Shiku saw what his intention was at 
once, and called him a cowardly deceiver. 
Then Korkwi attacked Shiku, who wounded 
him in the arm. 

The magician then tried to escape in ear- 
nest, and galloped away at his utmost speed. 

It was the custom at that time for oppos- 
ing armies to watch when a champion from 
each side should engage in a duel, and so 
the armies of Shiku and Korkwi had stood 
awaiting the result. Shiku now ordered his 
soldiers to charge the enemy, and this they 
did, defeating them utterly. 


268 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

Korkwi saw that fate was against him. 
His magic was useless to him, because Shiku 
knew more than he did, so, frenzied with 
pain and disappointment, he dashed his head 
against the rocks of Mount Kuri, and so 
perished. With such force did he strike 
the rocks that he made a great hole in the 
mountain, in which were embedded some 
of the pillars which upheld the heavens, and 
one of these pillars was broken. One corner 
of the sky thereupon began to drop, and at 
length it touched the earth. 

Then Shiku, taking with him the body of 
his enemy, returned to the Empress Janqwi, 
victorious. 

But trouble had not ceased for Janqwi. 
Fire was bursting out from the mountain in 
which was the broken pillar, and was doing 
great damage to the country round about. 
The Empress hastened to the scene of the 
disaster, and found that considerable damage 
had been done to both Heaven and earth. 

The problem now was how to repair this 
damage, so she gathered together the wise 
men of the kingdom to see what could be 
done. 


EMPRESS JANQWI 269 

Under their advice she ordered her subjects 
to collect all the stones they could find of 
these five colors — red, blue, yellow, white 
and black. These she had boiled in a huge 
cauldron, and the result was a cement which 
would mend anything. 

With Shiku’s magic help she then 
mounted the clouds, taking the cement with 
her, and having reached that corner of the 
sky which was broken, she mended it. She 
then repaired the broken pillar. 

Now all of this was the more difficult to 
do because ever since the hole was made in 
the mountain the moon had ceased to shine 
by night, and the sun by day, so that it was 
quite dark, and even now it remained so. 

She called another meeting of the wise 
men, and they decided that neither the sun 
nor the moon could travel because the 
roads by which they made their daily and 
nightly journeys had been damaged by the 
accident to the pillar, and it was now neces- 
sary to inform them that repairs had been 
made, and they could safely venture forth 
again. 

But the sun and moon were millions of 


270 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

miles away, and the problem was how to 
reach them. Then Shiku had recourse to 
his magic, and he produced a chariot which 
could race through the air at unbelievable 
speed. 

Haki and Oku were chosen by the Em- 
press to be her messengers to the sun and 
moon to tell them that the roads were now 
perfectly safe. 

So these two set out on their journey in 
the wonderful chariot, and finally they 
reached both the sun and the moon. 

It was just as the wise men had said — 
neither sun nor moon was aware that the 
roads damaged by the breaking of the pillar 
had been repaired, but when they were as- 
sured by Haki and Oku that these were now 
perfectly safe for travel they were satisfied, 
and so the Lords of Light again took up 
their daily and nightly duties. 

So again all was well in China, and for 
many years the people lived in peace and 
prosperity, rejoicing in the fact that the 
beloved and wise Janqwi was their Empress. 


RAJA RASALU 


ONCE there lived a great Rajah, whose name 
was Salabhan, and he had a Queen, by name 
Lona, who, though she wept and prayed 
at many a shrine, had never a child to glad- 
den her eyes. After a long time, however, 
a son was promised to her. 

Queen Lona returned to the palace, and 
when the time for the birth of the promised 
son drew nigh, she inquired of three Jogis 
who came begging to her gate, what the 
child’s fate would be, and the youngest of 
them answered and said: “Oh, Queen! The 
child will be a boy, and he will live to be 
a great man. But for twelve years you must 
not look upon his face, for if either you 
or his father see it before the twelve years 
are past, you will surely die! This is what 
you must do: As soon as the child is born 
you must send him away to a cellar under- 
neath the ground, and never let him see the 

271 


272 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

light of day for twelve years. After they 
are over he may come forth, bathe in the 
river, put on new clothes, and visit you. 
His name shall be Rajah Rasalu, and he 
shall be known far and wide.” 

So, when a fair young Prince was in due 
time born, his parents hid him away in an 
underground palace, with nurses and ser- 
vants, and everything else a king’s son might 
desire. And with him they sent a young 
colt, born the same day, and sword, spear, 
and shield, against the day when Rajah 
Rasalu should go forth into the world. 

So there the child lived, playing with his 
colt, and talking to his parrot; but when 
the twelfth year began the lad’s heart leaped 
up with desire for change, and he loved to 
listen to the sounds of life which came to 
him in his palace-prison from the outside 
world. 

“I must go and see where the voices come 
from!” he said; and when his nurses told 
him he must not go for one year more, he 
only laughed aloud, saying, “Nay! I stay 
no longer here for any man!” 

Then he saddled his Arab horse Bhanur, 


RAJAH RASALU 273 

put on his shining armor, and rode forth into 
the world; but, mindful of what his nurses 
had oft told him, when he came to the river, 
he dismounted, and going into the water, 
washed himself and his clothes. 

Then, clean of raiment, fair of face, and 
brave of heart, he rode on his way until he 
reached his father’s city. There he sat down 
to rest awhile by a well, where the women 
were drawing water in earthern pitchers. 
Now, as they passed him, their full pitchers 
poised upon their heads, the gay young 
Prince flung stones at the earthern vessels, 
and broke them all. Then the women, 
drenched with water, went weeping and wail- 
ing to the palace, complaining to the King 
that a mighty young Prince in shining armor, 
with a parrot on his wrist and a gallant 
steed beside him, sat by the well, and broke 
their pitchers. 

Now, as soon as Rajah Salabhan heard this 
he guessed at once that it was Prince Rasalu 
come forth before the time, and, mindful 
of the Jogis’ words that he would die if he 
looked on his son’s face before twelve years 
were past, he did not dare to send his guards 


274 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

to seize the offender and bring him to be 
judged. So he bade the women be com- 
forted, and take pitchers of iron and brass, 
giving new ones from the treasury to those 
who did not possess any of their own. 

But when Prince Rasalu saw the women 
returning to the well with pitchers of iron 
and brass, he laughed to himself, and drew 
his mighty bow till the sharp-pointed arrows 
pierced the metal vessels as though they had 
been clay. 

Yet still the King did not send for him, 
so he mounted his steed and set off in the 
pride of his youth and strength to the palace. 
He strode into the audience hall, where his 
father sat trembling, and saluted him with 
all reverence; but Rajah Salabhan, in fear 
of his life, turned his back hastily and said 
never a word in reply. 

Then Prince Rasalu called scornfully to 
him across the hall: 

“I came to greet thee, King, and not to harm 
thee! 

What have I done that thou shouldst turn 
away? 


RAJAH RASALU 275 

Scepter and empire have no power to charm 
me — 

I go to seek a worthier prize than they!” 

Then he strode away, full of bitterness and 
anger; but as he passed under the palace 
windows, he heard his mother weeping, and 
the sound softened his heart, so that his 
wrath died down, and a great loneliness fell 
upon him, because he was spurned by both 
father and mother. So he cried sorrowfully: 

“Oh, heart crown’d with grief, hast thou 
nought 

But tears for thy son? 

Art mother of mine? Give one thought 
To my life just begun!” 

And Queen Lona answered through her 
tears : 

“Yea! Mother am I, though I weep, 

So hold this word sure, — 

Go, reign king of all men, but keep 
Thy heart good and pure!” 

So Rajah Rasalu was comforted, and began 
to make ready for fortune. He took with 


276 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

him his horse Bhanur and his parrot, both 
of whom had lived with him since he was 
born. 

So they made a goodly company, and 
Queen Lona, when she saw them going, 
watched them from her window till she saw 
nothing but a cloud of dust on the horizon; 
then she bowed her head on her hands and 
wept, saying: 

“Oh! Son who ne’er gladdened mine eyes, 
Let the cloud of thy going arise, 

Dim the sunlight and darken the day; 

For the mother whose son is away 
Is as dust!” 

Rasalu had started off to play chaupur* 
with King Sarkap. And as he journeyed 
there came a fierce storm of thunder and 
lightning, so that he sought shelter, and 
found none save an old graveyard, where 
a headless corpse lay upon the ground. So 
lonesome was it that even the corpse seemed 
company, and Rasalu, sitting down beside 
it, said: 


A game very similar to the modern game of Parches!. 


RAJAH RASALU 277 

“There is no one here, nor far nor near, 
Save this breathless corpse so cold and 
grim; 

Would God he might come to life again, 
’Twould be less lonely to talk to him.” 

And immediately the headless corpse arose 
and sat beside Rajah Rasalu. And he, noth- 
ing astonished, said to it: 

“The storm beats fierce and loud 
The clouds rise thick in the West; 

What ails thy grave and shroud, 

Oh, corpse! That thou canst not rest?” 

Then the headless corpse replied: 

“On earth I was even as thou, 

My turban awry like a king, 

My head with the highest, I trow. 

Having my fun and my fling, 
Fighting my foes like a brave, 

Living my life with a swing. 

And, now I am dead, 

Sins, heavy as lead, 

Will give me no rest in my grave!” 

So the night passed on, dark and dreary, 


278 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

while Rasalu sat in the graveyard and talked 
to the headless corpse. Now when morn- 
ing broke and Rasalu said he must continue 
his journey, the headless corpse asked him 
whither he was going, and when he said, 
“To play chaupur with King Sarkap,” the 
corpse begged him to give up the idea, say- 
ing: “I am King Sarkap’s brother, and I 
know his ways. Every day before breakfast 
he cuts off the heads of two or three men 
just to amuse himself. One day no one else 
was at hand, so he cut off mine, and he will 
surely cut off yours on one pretense or 
another. However, if you are determined 
to go and play chaupur with him, take some 
of the bones from this graveyard, and make 
your dice out of them, and then the en- 
chanted dice with which my brother plays 
will lose their virtue. Otherwise he will 
always win.” 

So Rasalu took some of the bones lying 
about, and fashioned them into dice, and 
these he put into his pocket. Then, bidding 
adieu to the headless corpse, he went on his 
way to play chaupur with the king. 

Now, as Rajah Rasalu, tender-hearted and 


RAJAH RASALU 279 

strong, journeyed along to play chaupur with 
the king, he came to a burning forest, and a 
voice rose from the fire, saying, “Oh, traveler! 
Save me from the fire!” 

Then the Prince turned towards the burn- 
ing forest, and lo! the voice was the voice 
of a tiny cricket. Nevertheless, Rasalu, ten- 
der-hearted and strong, snatched it from 
the fire and set it at liberty. Then the little 
creature, full of gratitude, pulled out one 
of its feelers, and giving it to its preserver, 
said, “Keep this, and should you ever be in 
trouble, put it into the fire, and instantly I 
will come to your aid.” 

The Prince smiled, saying, “What help 
could you give me?” Nevertheless, he kept 
the hair and went on his way. 

Now, when he reached the city of King 
Sarkap, seventy maidens, daughters of the 
king, came out to meet him — seventy fair 
maidens, merry and careless, full of smiles 
and laughter; but one, the youngest of them 
all, when she saw the gallant young Prince 
riding on Bhanur, going gayly to his doom, 
was filled with pity, and called to him ? 
saying: 


28 o THE JADE STORY BOOK 

“Fair Prince, on the charger so gray, 
Turn thee back! Turn thee back! 

Or lower thy lance for the fray; 

Thy head will be forfeit to-day! 

Dost love life? Then, stranger, I pray, 
Turn thee back! Turn thee back!” 

But he, smiling at the maiden, answered 
lightly : 

“Fair maiden, I come from afar, 

Sworn conqueror in love and in war! 

King Sarkap my coming will rue, 

His head in four pieces I’ll hew; 

Then forth as a bridegroom I’ll ride, 

With you, little maid, as my bride!” 

Now when Rasalu replied so gallantly, 
the maiden looked in his face, and seeing 
how fair he was, and how brave and strong, 
she straightway fell in love with him, and 
would gladly have followed him through 
the world. 

But the other sixty-nine maidens, being 
jealous, laughed scornfully at her, saying: 
“Not so fast, oh gallant warrior! If you 
would marry our sister you must first do 


RAJAH RASALU 281 

our bidding, for you will be our younger 
brother.” 

“Fair sisters!” quoth Rasalu gayly, “give 
me my task and I will perform it.” 

So the sixty-nine maidens mixed a hun- 
dred-weight of millet seed with a hundred- 
weight of sand, and giving it to Rasalu, bade 
him separate the seed from the sand. 

Then he bethought him of the cricket, 
and drawing the feeler from his pocket, 
thrust it into the fire. And immediately there 
was a whirring noise in the air, and a great 
flight of crickets alighted beside him, and 
amongst them the cricket whose life he had 
saved. 

Then Rasalu said, “Separate the millet 
seed from the sand.” 

“Is that all?” quoth the cricket. “Had I 
known how small a job you wanted me to do, 
I would not have assembled so many of my 
brethren.” 

With that the flight of crickets set to 
work, and in one night they separated the 
seed from the sand. 

Now when the sixty-nine fair maidens, 
daughters of the king, saw that Rasalu had 


282 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

performed his task, they set him another, 
bidding him swing them all, one by one, in 
their swings, until they were tired. 

Whereupon he laughed, saying, “There are 
seventy of you, counting my little bride yon- 
der, and I am not going to spend my life 
swinging girls! Why, by the time I have 
given each of you a swing, the first will be 
wanting another! No! If you want a swing, 
get in, all seventy of you, and then I’ll see 
what can be done.” 

So the seventy maidens climbed into one 
swing, and Rajah Rasalu, standing in his shin- 
ing armor, fastened the ropes to his mighty 
bow, and drew it up to its fullest bent. Then 
he let go, and like an arrow the swing shot 
into the air, with its burden of seventy fair 
maidens, merry and careless, full of smiles 
and laughter. 

But as it swung back again, Rasalu, stand- 
ing there in his shining armor, drew his 
sharp sword and severed the ropes. Then 
the seventy fair maidens fell to the ground 
headlong; and some were bruised and some 
were broken, but the only one who escaped 
unhurt was the maiden who loved Rasalu, 


RAJAH RASALU 283 

for she fell out last, on the top of the others, 
and so came to no harm. 

After this, Rasalu strode on fifteen paces, 
till he came to the seventy drums, that every- 
one who came to play chaupur with the king 
had to beat in turn; and he beat them so 
loudly that he broke them all. Then he 
came to the seventy gongs, all in a row, and 
he hammered them so hard that they cracked 
to pieces. 

Seeing this, the youngest Princess, who 
was the only one who could run, fled to 
her father, the king, in a great fright, saying: 

“A mighty Prince, Sarkap! making havoc 
rides along, 

He swung us, seventy maidens fair, and threw 
us out headlong; 

He broke the drums you placed there, and 
the gongs, too, in his pride, 

Sure, he will kill thee, father mine, and 
take me for his bride!” 

But King Sarkap replied scornfully: 

“Silly maiden, thy words make a lot 
Of a very small matter; 


284 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

For fear of my valor, I wot, 

His armor will clatter. 

As soon as I’ve eaten my bread 

I’ll go forth and cut off his head!” 

Notwithstanding these brave and boastful 
words he was in reality very much afraid, 
having heard of Rasalu’s renown. And 
learning that he was stopping at the house 
of an old woman in the city, till the hour 
of playing chaupur arrived, Sarkap sent 
slaves to him with trays of sweetmeats and 
fruit, as to an honored guest. But the food 
was poisoned. 

Now, when the slaves brought the trays 
to Rajah Rasalu, he rose up haughtily, say- 
ing: “Go tell your master I have naught to 
do with him in friendship. I am his sworn 
enemy, and I eat not of his salt!” 

So saying, he threw the sweetmeats to 
Rajah Sarkap’s dog, which had followed the 
slaves, and lo! the dog died. 

Then Rasalu was very wroth, and said 
bitterly, “Go back to Sarkap, slaves. And 
tell him that Rasalu deems it no act of brav- 
ery to kill even an enemy by treachery.” 


RAJAH RASALU 285 

Now, when evening came, Rajah Rasalu 
went forth to play chaupur with King Sar- 
kap, and as he passed some potters’ kilns 
he saw a cat wandering about restlessly; so 
he asked what ailed her, that she never stood 
still, and she replied: “My kittens are in an 
unbaked pot in the kiln yonder. It has just 
been set alight, and my children will be 
baked alive; therefore I cannot rest!” 

Her words moved the heart of Rajah 
Rasalu, and going to the potter, he asked 
him to sell the kiln as it was; but the potter 
replied that he could not settle a fair price 
till the pots were burned, as he could not 
tell how many would come out whole. Nev- 
ertheless, after some bargaining, he con- 
sented at last to sell the kiln, and Rasalu, 
having searched all the pots, restored the 
kittens to their mother, and she in gratitude 
for his mercy, gave him one of them, saying, 
“Put it in your pocket, for it will help you 
when you are in difficulties.” So Rajah 
Rasalu put the kitten in his pocket, and 
went to play chaupur with the king. 

Now, before they sat down to play, Rajah 
Sarkap fixed his stakes — on the first game, 


286 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

his kingdom; on the second, the wealth of 
the whole world, and on the third, his own 
head. So, likewise, Rajah Rasalu fixed his 
stakes — on the first game, his arms; on the 
second, his horse, and on the third, his own 
head. 

Then they began to play, and it fell to 
Rasalu’s lot to make the first move. Now 
he, forgetful of the dead man’s warning, 
played with the dice given him by Rajah 
Sarkap, besides which, Sarkap let loose his 
famous rat, Dhol Rajah, and it ran about the 
board, upsetting the chaupur pieces on the 
sly, so that Rasalu lost the first game, and 
gave up his shining armor. 

Then the second game began, and once 
more Dhol Rajah, the rat, upset the pieces; 
and Rasalu, losing the game, gave up his 
faithful steed. Then Bhanur, the Arab 
steed, who stood by, found voice, and cried 
to his master: 

“Sea-born am I, bought with much gold; 
Dear Prince I Trust me now as of old. 

I’ll carry you far from these wiles — - 


RAJAH RASALU 287 

My flight, all unspurr’d, will be swift as a 
bird, 

For thousands and thousands of miles! 
Or if needs you must stay ; ere the next game 
you play 

Place your hand in your pocket, I pray!” 

Hearing this, Rajah Sarkap frowned, and 
bade his slaves remove Bhanur, the Arab 
steed, since he gave his master advice in the 
game. Now, when the slaves came to lead 
the faithful steed away, Rasalu could not 
refrain from tears, thinking over the long 
years during which Bhanur, the Arab steed, 
had been his companion. But the horse cried 
out again: 

“Weap not, dear Prince! I shall not eat 
my bread 

Of stranger hands, nor to strange stall be led. 
Take thy right hand, and place it as I said.” 

These words roused some recollection in 
Rasalu’s mind, and when, just at this mo- 
ment, the kitten in his pocket began to 
struggle, he remembered all about the warn- 


288 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

ing, and the dice made from dead men’s 
bones. Then his heart rose up once more, 
and he called boldly to Rajah Sarkap: 
“Leave my horse and arms here for the 
present. Time enough to take them away 
when you have won my head!” 

Now, Rajah Sarkap, seeing Rasalu’s con- 
fident bearing, began to be afraid, and or- 
dered all the women of his palace to come 
forth in their gayest attire and stand before 
Rasalu, so as to distract his attention from 
the game. But he never even looked at 
them, and drawing the dice from his pocket, 
said to Sarkap, “We have played with your 
dice all this time. Now we will play with 
mine.” 

Then the kitten went and sat at the win- 
dow through which the rat Dhol Rajah used 
to come, and the game began. 

After awhile, Sarkap, seeing Rajah Rasalu 
was winning, called to his rat, but when 
Dhol Rajah saw the kitten he was afraid, 
and would not go farther. So Rasalu won, 
and took back his arms. Next he played 
for his horse, and once more Rajah Sarkap 
called for his rat; but Dhol Rajah, seeing 


RAJAH RASALU 289 

the kitten keeping watch, was afraid. So 
Rasalu won the second stake, and took back 
Bhanur, the Arab steed. 

Then Sarkap brought all his skill to bear 
on the third and last game, saying: 

“Oh, molded pieces! Favor me to-day! 
Forsooth this is a man with whom I play. 
No paltry risk — but life and death at stake; 
As Sarkap does, so do, for Sarkap’s sake!” 

But Rasalu answered back: 

“Oh, molded pieces! Favor me to-day! 
Forsooth it is a man with whom I play. 

No paltry risk — but life and death at stake; 
As Heaven does, so do, for Heaven’s sake!” 

So they began to play, whilst the women 
stood round in a circle, and the kitten 
watched Dhol Rajah, from the window. 
Then Sarkap lost, first his kingdom, then the 
wealth of the whole world, and lastly his 
head. 

Just then, a servant came in to announce 
the birth of a daughter to Rajah Sarkap, 


2 9 o THE JADE STORY BOOK 

and he, overcome by misfortunes, said, “Kill 
her at once! For she has been born in an 
evil moment, and has brought her father ill 
luck!” 

But Rasalu rose up in his shining armor, 
tender-hearted and strong, saying: “Not so, 
O King! She has done no evil. Give me 
this child to wife; and if you will vow, by 
all you hold sacred, never again to play 
chaupur for another’s head, I will spare 
yours now!” 

Then Sarkap vowed a solemn vow never 
to play for another’s head; and after that 
he took a fresh mango branch, and the new- 
born babe, and placing them on a golden 
dish, gave them to Rasalu. 

Now, as he left the palace, carrying with 
him the newborn babe and the mango 
branch, he met a band of prisoners, and they 
called out to him : 

“A royal hawk art thou, O King, the rest 
But timid wild-fowl. Grant us our request, 
Unloose these chains, and live forever blest!” 

And Rajah Rasalu harkened to them, and 
bade King Sarkap set them at liberty. 


RAJAH RASALU 291 

Then he went to the Murti Hills, and 
placed the newborn babe, Kokilan, in an un- 
derground palace, and planted the mango 
branch at the door, saying, “In twelve years 
the mango tree will blossom; then will I 
return and marry Kokilan.” 

And after twelve years, the mango tree 
began to flower, and Raja Rasalu married 
the Princess Kokilan, who he won from 
Sarkap when he played chaupur with the 
king. 


THE FOUR FRIENDS 


Three great friends, a tortoise, a weasel and 
a crow, were talking together one fine day 
when they were disturbed by the noise of 
an animal who was coming their way in 
great haste. They soon saw that it was a 
goat, who was evidently being pursued, so, 
as a matter of safety, each of them sought 
a place of refuge. 

The goat stopped quite suddenly by the 
side of a pool, near which the three friends 
had been conversing together, but he seemed 
to be afraid to drink. The crow, who had 
flown to the upper branches of a high tree, 
saw that the man who had been hunting the 
goat had given up the chase, so he called 
to the tortoise, whose haven was the pool, 
that it was quite safe now for him to come 
out. 

The tortoise at once came to the surface, 
and seeing the goat standing there, evidently 
292 


THE FOUR FRIENDS 293 

thirsty, but trembling and afraid to drink, 
spoke kindly to him, assuring him that there 
was no danger. 

Then the goat drank, and the tortoise asked 
him why he was so distressed. The goat re- 
plied that he had reason to be, for he had 
barely escaped death at the hands of a hunter. 

“Well,” said the tortoise, “you are quite 
safe now. There are three of us here, a 
weasel, a crow, and myself, who are great 
friends. How would you like to join our 
company? It is our practice to stand by 
one another in all things, and to make our 
lives as pleasant as possible. 

By this time the weasel and the crow had 
joined them and they seconded the invitation, 
so the goat accepted, and each of them swore 
to be a true friend to the others. 

For a long time they lived pleasantly to- 
gether; but one day the goat failed to be at 
their meeting-place, and this caused them 
great anxiety. They waited for some time, 
but as their friend didn’t appear, they de- 
cided to search for him, fearing that he 
was in trouble. So the crow flew up into the 
air, and looking round about saw the poor 


294 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

goat striving to release himself from the 
meshes of a hunter’s net. 

He at once reported his discovery to his 
friends, and their sorrow upon receiving the 
news of the goat’s capture was great. It was 
their duty now to see what could be done 
to help their comrade, and at length they 
hit upon a plan to rescue him. 

The weasel possessed very sharp teeth, 
and he was to gnaw the meshes of the net in 
which the goat was confined, and so set him 
at liberty. As this would take some time, 
it was necessary that the weasel get to work 
as soon as possible, because the hunter might 
return to his net at any minute. 

The crow and the weasel hastened to the 
spot, and such good work did the latter do 
with his teeth, that by the time the tortoise 
arrived, the goat was at liberty. 

It was foolish for the tortoise to have 
come so far from home, especially to a place 
so dangerous as this, because it surely would 
not be very long before the hunter returned, 
and his presence there caused the goat to 
say: “My dear friend, I am sorry to have 
been the cause of bringing you here, for 


THE FOUR FRIENDS 295 

if the hunter should come, how could you 
escape? The rest of us could easily look 
after ourselves, for the crow would fly into 
the air, the weasel could hide in any hole, 
and I should seek safety in flight; but you, 
who move so slowly, would be at the mercy 
of the hunter. 

At this moment, surely enough, the hunter 
appeared, and it happened as the goat had 
said. The latter ran swiftly away; the crow 
flew into the air, and the weasel disappeared 
into a hole. Only the tortoise was left, un- 
able to escape. 

The hunter was greatly vexed when he 
saw the broken net, and he wondered who 
could have helped the goat to get away. He 
looked around, and of course saw the tortoise. 

“Well,” he said, “here is a tortoise, and 
that is better than nothing, and it will make 
a very good meal.” So he threw the tortoise 
into a sack which he carried, threw it over 
his shoulder, and started off home. 

When he had gone the three friends re- 
turned, and guessed at once what had hap- 
pened to the tortoise. They bitterly be- 
moaned his fate, especially the goat, who 


296 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

blamed himself as being the cause of this 
trouble. 

Then the crow said: “Tears and lamenta- 
tions will not help our poor friend, so let 
us devise means of saving him. It is our 
part to show what we can do in a case of such 
need.” 

They thought hard, and finally decided 
upon a plan. The goat was to let himself 
be seen by the hunter, and to make out that 
he was lame. The hunter would then be 
sure of being able to catch him, and so lay 
down his sack, and run after him. As soon 
as he was far enough away from the sack 
(and it was the part of the goat to lead him 
as far away as possible) the weasel would 
again put his sharp teeth into use, and gnaw 
through the cord which would be tied around 
the mouth of the sack, and so free their 
friend. 

So the goat ran with speed until he was 
in front of the hunter, and then he appeared 
to be lame and weary. As soon as the hunter 
saw him in such feeble condition he was 
sure he could catch him without difficulty, 
and so, throwing down his sack, he ran 


THE FOUR FRIENDS 


297 

after the goat, who artfully drew him farther 
and farther away, until they were both out 
of sight. 

Then came the weasel, whose strong teeth 
soon set the tortoise at liberty, and together 
they hid themselves in a bush. 

The goat had led the hunter a merry chase, 
which the latter was finally forced to give 
up, and then return to recover his sack. He 
was congratulating himself on having at 
least captured something that couldn’t run 
away from him, when he lifted the sack 
from the ground, and found that now he had 
lost the tortoise. 

This story shows the strength of true 
friendship, and that when the desire to help 
is there, a way to do so will be found- 


THE ADVENTURES OF JUAN 


JUAN was always getting into trouble. He 
was a lazy boy, and more than that, he did 
not have good sense. When he tried to do 
things, he made such dreadful mistakes that 
he might better not have tried. 

His family grew very impatient with him, 
scolding and beating him whenever he did 
anything wrong. One day his mother, who 
was almost discouraged with him, gave him 
a bolo * and sent him to the forest, for she 
thought he could at least cut firewood. Juan 
walked leisurely along, contemplating some 
means of escape. At last he came to a tree 
that seemed easy to cut, and then he drew 
his long knife and prepared to work. 

Now it happened that this was a magic 
tree, and it said to Juan: 

“If you do not cut me I will give you a 
goat that shakes silver from its whiskers.” 

298 


A long knife. 


THE ADVENTURES OF JUAN 299 

This pleased Juan wonderfully, both be- 
cause he was curious to see the goat, and 
because he would not have to chop the 
wood. He agreed at once to spare the tree, 
whereupon the bark separated and the goat 
stepped out. Juan commanded it to shake 
its whiskers, and when the money began to 
drop he was so delighted that he took the 
animal and started home to show his treasure 
to his mother. 

On the way he met a friend who was more 
cunning than Juan, and when he heard of 
the boy’s rich goat he decided to rob him. 
Knowing Juan’s fondness for tuba,* he per- 
suaded him to drink. This sent him to sleep, 
and then the friend substituted another goat 
for the magic one. As soon as he awoke, 
Juan hastened home with the goat and told 
his people of the wonderful tree, but when 
he commanded the animal to shake its whis- 
kers, no money fell out. The family, believ- 
ing it to be another of Juan’s tricks, beat and 
scolded the poor boy. 

He went back to the tree and threatened to 


Fermented juice of the cocoanut. 


3 oo THE JADE STORY BOOK 

cut it down for lying to him, but the tree 
said: 

“No, do not cut me down and I will give 
you a net which you may cast on dry ground, 
or even in the tree tops, and it will return 
full of fish. 

So Juan spared the tree and started home 
with his precious net, but on the way he met 
the same friend who again persuaded him to 
drink tuba. While he was asleep, the friend 
replaced the magic net with a common one, 
so that when Juan reached home and tried 
to show his power, he was again the subject 
of ridicule. 

Once more Juan went to his tree, this time 
determined to cut it down. But the offer of 
a magic pot, always full of rice and spoons 
which provided whatever he wished to eat 
with his rice, dissuaded him, and he started 
home happier than ever. Before reaching 
home, however, he met with the same fate 
as before, and his folks, who were becoming 
tired of his pranks, beat him harder than 
ever. 

Thoroughly angered, Juan sought the tree 
a fourth time and was on the point of cutting 


THE ADVENTURES OF JUAN 301 

it down when once more it arrested his at- 
tention. After some discussion, he consented 
to accept a stick to which he had only to 
say, “Boombye, Boomba,” and it would beat 
and kill anything he wished. 

When he met his friend on this trip, he 
was asked what he had, and he replied: 

“Oh, it is only a stick, but if I say, ‘Boom- 
bye, Boomba,’ it will beat you to death.” 

At the sound of the magic words the stick 
leaped from his hands and began beating his 
friend until he cried: 

“Oh, stop it and I will give back every- 
thing that I stole from you.” Juan ordered 
the stick to stop, and then he compelled the 
man to lead the goat and to carry the net 
and the jar and spoons to his home. 

There Juan commanded the goat, and it 
shook its whiskers until his mother and 
brothers had all the silver they could carry. 
Then they ate from the magic jar and spoons 
until they were filled. And this time Juan 
was not scolded. After they had finished 
Juan said: 

“You have beaten me and scolded me all 
my life, and now you are glad to accept my 


302 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

good things. I am going to show you some- 
thing else: ‘Boombye, Boomba.’ ” Imme- 
diately the stick leaped out and beat them 
all until they begged for mercy and promised 
that Juan should ever after be head of the 
house. 

From that time Juan was rich and power- 
ful, but he never went anywhere without his 
stick. One night, when some thieves came 
to his house, he would have been robbed and 
killed had it not been for the magic words 
“Boombye, Boomba,” which caused the death 
of all the robbers. 

Some time after this he married a beau- 
tiful princess, and because of the kindness of 
the magic tree they always lived happily. 


THE FEAST OF THE LANTERNS 


Wang Chih was only a poor man, but he 
had a wife and children to love, and they 
made him so happy that he would not have 
changed places with the Emperor himself. 

He worked in the fields all day, and at 
night his wife always had a bowl of rice 
ready for his supper. And sometimes, for a 
treat, she made him some bean soup, or gave 
him a little dish of fried pork. 

But they could not afford pork very often; 
he generally had to be content with rice. 

One morning, as he was setting off to his 
work, his wife sent Han Chung, his son, 
running after him to ask him to bring home 
some firewood. 

“I shall have to go up into the mountain 
for it at noon,” he said. “Go and bring me 
my axe, Han Chung.” 

Han Chung ran for his father’s axe, and 
Ho-Seen-Ko, his little sister, came out of the 
cottage with him. 


303 


3 04 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

“Remember, it is the Feast of Lanterns 
to-night, father,” she said. “Don’t fall 
asleep upon the mountain; we want you to 
come back and light them for us.” 

She had a lantern in the shape of a fish, 
painted red and black and yellow, and Han 
Chung had got a big round one, all bright 
crimson, to carry in the procession; and, be- 
sides that, there were two large lanterns to 
be hung outside the cottage door as soon 
as it grew dark. 

Wang Chih was not likely to forget the 
Feast of Lanterns, for the children had talked 
of nothing else for a month, and he promised 
to come home as early as he could. 

At noontide, when his fellow-laborers gave 
up working, and sat down to rest and eat, 
Wang Chih took his axe and went up the 
mountain slope to find a small tree he might 
cut down for fuel. 

He walked a long way, and at last saw 
one growing at the mouth of a cave. 

“This will be just the thing,” he said to 
himself. But, before striking the first blow, 
he peeped into the cave to see if it were 
empty. 


THE FEAST OF LANTERNS 305 

To his surprise, two old men, with long, 
white beards, were sitting inside playing 
chess, as quietly as mice, with their eyes fixed 
on the chessboard. 

Wang Chih knew something of chess, and 
he stepped in and watched them for a few 
minutes. 

“As soon as they look up I can ask them 
if I may chop down a tree,” he said to him- 
self. But they did not look up, and by and 
by Wang Chih got so interested in the game 
that he put down his axe, and sat on the 
floor to watch it better. 

The two old men sat cross-legged on the 
ground, and the chessboard rested on a slab, 
like a stone table, between them. 

On one corner of the slab lay a heap of 
small brown objects which Wang Chih took 
at first to be date stones ; but after a time the 
chess-players ate one each, and put one in 
Wang Chih’s mouth, and he found it was not 
a date stone at all. 

It was a delicious kind of sweetmeat, the 
like of which he had never tasted before; 
and the strangest thing about it was that it 
took his hunger and thirst away. 


306 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

He had been both hungry and thirsty when 
he came into the cave, as he had not waited 
to have his mid-day meal with the other 
field-workers; but now he felt quite com- 
forted and refreshed. 

He sat there some time longer, and noticed 
that as the old men frowned over the chess- 
board, their beards grew longer and longer, 
until they swept the floor of the cave, and 
even found their way out of the door. 

“I hope my beard will never grow as 
quickly,” said Wang Chih, as he rose and 
took up his axe again. 

Then one of the old men spoke, for the 
first time. “Our beards have not grown 
quickly, young man. How long is it since 
you came here?” 

“About half an hour, I dare say,” replied 
Wang Chih. But as he spoke, the axe crum- 
bled to dust beneath his fingers, and the 
second chess-player laughed, and pointed to 
the little brown sweetmeats on the table. 

“Half an hour, or half a century — aye, 
half a thousand years are all alike to him 
who tastes of these. Go down into your 


THE FEAST OF LANTERNS 307 

village and see what has happened since you 
left it.” 

So Wang Chih went down as quickly as 
he could from the mountain, and found the 
fields where he had worked covered with 
houses, and a busy town where his own little 
village had been. In vain he looked for his 
house, his wife, and his children. 

There were strange faces everywhere; and 
although when evening came the Feast of 
Lanterns was being held once more, there 
was no Ho-Seen-Ko carrying her red and 
yellow fish, or Han Chung with his flaming 
red ball. 

At last he found a woman, a very, very 
old woman, who told him that when she 
was a tiny girl she remembered her grand- 
mother saying how, when she was a tiny girl, 
a poor young man had been spirited away 
by the Genii of the mountains on the day 
of the Feast of Lanterns, leaving his wife and 
little children with only a few handfuls of 
rice in the house. 

“Moreover, if you wait while the proces- 
sion passes, you will see two children dressed 
to represent Han Chung and Ho-Seen-Ko, 


3 o8 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

and their mother carrying the empty rice- 
bowl between them; for this is done every 
year to remind people to take care of the 
widow and fatherless,” she said. So Wang 
Chih waited in the street; and in a little 
while the procession came to an end, and 
the last three figures in it were a boy and 
girl, dressed like his own two children, walk- 
ing on either side of a young woman carry- 
ing a rice-bowl. But she was not like his 
wife in anything but her dress, and the chil- 
dren were not at all like Han Chung and 
Ho-Seen-Ko; and poor Wang Chih’s heart 
was very heavy as he walked out of the town. 

He slept out on the mountain, and early in 
the morning found his way back to the cave 
where the two old men were playing chess. 

At first they said they could do nothing for 
him and told him to go away and not disturb 
them; but Wang Chih would not go, and 
they found the only way to get rid of him 
was to give him some really good advice. 

“You must go to the White Hare of the 
Moon, and ask him for a bottle of the elixir 
of life. If you drink that you will live 
forever,” said one of them. 


THE FEAST OF LANTERNS 309 

“But I don’t want to live forever,” objected 
Wang Chih. “I wish to go back and live in 
the days when my wife and children were 
here.” 

“Ah, well! For that you must mix the 
elixir of life with some water out of the sky- 
dragon’s mouth.” 

“And where is the sky-dragon to be 
found?” inquired Wang Chih. 

“In the sky, of course. You really ask 
very stupid questions. He lives in a cloud- 
cave. And when he comes out of it he 
breathes fire, and sometimes water. If he 
is breathing fire you will be burned up, but 
if it is only water, you will easily be able 
to catch some in a little bottle. What else 
do you want?” 

For Wang Chih still lingered at the mouth 
of the cave. 

“I want a pair of wings to fly with, and 
a bottle to catch the water in,” he replied 
boldly. 

So they gave him a little bottle and before 
he had time to say “Thank you!” a white 
crane came sailing past and lighted on the 
ground close to the cave- 


3 io THE JADE STORY BOOK 

“The crane will take you wherever you 
like,” said the old men. “Go now, and leave 
us in peace.” 

So Wang Chih sat on the white crane’s 
back, and was taken up and up through the 
sky to the cloud-cave where the sky-dragon 
lived. And the dragon had the head of a 
camel, the horns of a deer, the eyes of a rab- 
bit, the ears of a cow, and the claws of a 
hawk. 

Besides this, he had whiskers and a beard, 
and in his beard was a bright pearl. 

All these things show that he was a real, 
genuine dragon, and if you ever meet a 
dragon who is not exactly like this, you will 
know he is only a make-believe one. 

Wang Chih felt rather frightened when 
he perceived the cave in the distance, and if 
it had not been for the thought of seeing his 
wife again, and his little boy and girl, he 
would have been glad to turn back. 

While he was far away the cloud-cave 
looked like a dark hole in the midst of a soft 
woolly mass, such as one sees in the sky on an 
April day; but as he came nearer he found 


THE FEAST OF LANTERNS 31 1 

the cloud was as hard as a rock, and covered 
with a kind of dry, white grass. 

When he got there, he sat down on a tuft 
of grass near the cave, and considered what 
he should do next. 

The first thing was, of course, to bring the 
dragon out, and the next to make him breathe 
water instead of fire. 

“I have it!” cried Wang Chih at last; and 
he nodded his head so many times that the 
little white crane expected to see it fall off. 

He struck a light, and set the grass on 
fire, and it was so dry that the flames spread 
all around the entrance to the cave, and made 
such a smoke and crackling that the sky- 
dragon put his head out to see what was the 
matter. 

“Ho! Ho!” cried the dragon, when he 
saw what Wang Chih had done, “I can soon 
put this to rights.” And he breathed once, 
and the water came out of his nose and mouth 
in three streams. 

But this was not enough to put the fire out. 
Then he breathed twice, and the water came 
out in three mighty rivers, and Wang Chih, 
who had taken care to fill his bottle when the 


312 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

first stream began to flow, sailed away on the 
white crane’s back as fast as he could go, 
to escape being drowned. 

The rivers poured over the cloud rock, 
until there was not a spark left alight, and 
rushed down through the sky into the sea 
below. 

Fortunately, the sea lay right underneath 
the dragon’s cave, or he would have done 
some nice mischief. As it was, the people 
on the coast looked out across the water 
toward Japan, and saw three inky-black 
clouds stretching from the sky into the sea. 

“My word! There is a fine rain-storm out 
at sea!” they said to each other- 

But, of course, it was nothing of the kind; 
it was only the sky-dragon putting out the 
fire Wang Chih had kindled. 

Meanwhile, Wang Chih was on his way 
to the moon, and when he got there he went 
straight to the hut where the Hare of the 
Moon lived, and knocked at the door. 

The Hare was busy pounding the drugs 
which make up the elixir of life; but he 
left his work, opened the door, and invited 
Wang Chih to come in. 


THE FEAST OF LANTERNS 313 

He was not ugly, like the dragon; his fur 
was quite white and soft and glossy, and he 
had lovely, gentle brown eyes. 

The Hare of the Moon lives a thousand 
years, as you know, and when he is five 
hundred years old he changes his color from 
brown to white, and becomes, if possible, 
better tempered and nicer than he was before. 

As soon as he heard what Wang Chih 
wanted, he opened two windows at the back 
of the hut, and told him to look through 
each of them in turn. 

“Tell me what you see,” said the Hare, 
going back to the table where he was pound- 
ing the drugs. 

“I can see a great many houses and peo- 
ple,” said Wang Chih, “and streets — why, 
this is the town I was in yesterday, the one 
which has taken the place of my old village.” 

Wang Chih stared, and grew more and 
more puzzled. Here he was up in the moon, 
and yet he could have thrown a stone into 
the busy street of the Chinese town below 
his window. 

“How does it come here,” he stammered, 
at last. 


3 i4 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

“Oh, that is my secret,” replied the wise 
old Hare. “I know how to do a great many 
things which would surprise you. But the 
question is, do you want to go back there?” 

Wang Chih shook his head. 

“Then close the window. It is the window 
of the Present. And look through the other, 
which is the window of the Past. 

Wang Chih obeyed, and through this win- 
dow he saw his own dear little village, and 
his wife, and Han Chung and Ho-Seen-Ko 
jumping about her as she hung up the col- 
ored lanterns outside the door. 

“Father won’t be in time to light them for 
us, after all,” Han Chung was saying. 

Wang Chih turned, and looked eagerly at 
the White Hare- 

“Let me go to them,” he said. “I have 
got a bottle of water from the sky-dragon’s 
mouth, and ” 

“That’s all right,” said the White Hare. 
“Give it to me.” 

He opened the bottle, and mixed the con- 
tents carefully with a few drops of the elixir 
of life, which was clear as crystal, and of 


THE FEAST OF LANTERNS 315 

which each drop shone like a diamond as he 
poured it in. 

“Now, drink this,” he said to Wang Chih, 
“and it will give you the power of living 
once more in the past, as you desire.” 

Wang Chih held out his hand, and drank 
every drop. 

The moment he had done so the window 
grew larger, and he saw some steps leading 
from it down into the village street. 

Thanking the Hare, he rushed through it, 
and ran toward his own house, arriving in 
time to take from his wife’s hand the taper 
with which she was about to light the red 
and yellow lanterns which swung over the 
door. 

“What has kept you so long, father? 
Where have you been?” asked Han Chung, 
while little Ho-Seen-Ko wondered why he 
kissed and embraced them all so eagerly. 

But Wang Chih did not tell them his 
adventures just then; only when darkness fell, 
and the Feast of Lanterns began, he took 
his part in it with a merry heart. 


LUMAWIG ON EARTH 


ONE day when Lumawig, the Great Spirit, 
looked down from his place in the sky, he 
saw two sisters gathering beans, and he de- 
cided to visit them. When he arrived at 
the place he asked them what they were 
doing. 

The younger, whose name was Fukan, 
answered : 

“We are gathering beans, but it takes a 
long time to get enough, for my sister wants 
to go bathing all the time.” 

Then Lumawig said to the older sister: 

“Hand me a single pod of the beans.” 

And when she had given it to him, he 
shelled it into the basket and immediately the 
basket was full. The younger sister laughed 
at this, and Lumawig said to her: 

“Give me another pod and another basket-” 

She did so, and when he had shelled the 
pod, that basket was full also. Then he said 
to the younger sister: 

“Go home and get three more baskets.” 

316 


LUMAWIG ON EARTH 317 

She went home, but when she asked for 
three more baskets her mother said that the 
beans were few and she could not need so 
many. Then Fukan told her of the young 
man who could fill a basket from one pod of 
beans, and the father, who heard her story, 
said: 

“Go, bring the young man here, for I 
think he must be a god.” 

So Fukan took the three baskets back to 
Lumawig, and when he had filled them as 
he did the other two, he helped the girls 
carry them to the house. As they reached 
their home, he stopped outside to cool him- 
self, but the father called to him, and he went 
into the house and asked for some water. 
The father brought him a cocoanut shell 
full, and before drinking Lumawig looked 
at it and said: 

“If I stay here with you, I shall become 
very strong.” 

The next morning Lumawig asked to see 
their chickens, and when they opened the 
chicken-coop out came a hen and many little 
chicks. 

“Are these all of your chickens?” asked 


3 18 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

Lumawig; and the father assured him that 
they were all. He then bade them bring 
rice meal that he might feed them, and as 
the chickens ate they all grew rapidly till 
they were cocks and hens. 

Next Lumawig asked how many pigs they 
had, and the father replied that they had one 
with some little ones. Then Lumawig bade 
them fill a pail with sweet potato leaves, and 
he fed the pigs. And as they ate they also 
grew to full size. 

The father was so pleased with all these 
things that he offered his elder daughter to 
Lumawig for a wife. But the Great Spirit 
said he preferred to marry the younger, and 
so it was arranged. Now when his brother- 
in-law learned that Lumawig desired a feast 
at his wedding, he was very angry and said: 

“Where would you get food for your wed- 
ding feast? There is no rice, nor beef, nor 
pork, nor chicken.” 

But Lumawig only answered, “I shall pro- 
vide our wedding feast.” 

In thje morning they all set out for 
Lanao, for Lumawig did not care to stay any 
longer in the house with his brother-in-law. 


LUMA WIG ON EARTH 319 

As soon as they arrived he sent out for some 
tree trunks, but the trees that the people 
brought in were so small that Lumawig him- 
self went to the forest and cut two large pine 
trees which he hurled to Lanao- 

When the people had built a fire of the 
trees he commanded them to bring ten ket- 
tles filled with water. Soon the water was 
boiling hot and the brother-in-law laughed 
and said: 

“Where is your rice? You have the boil- 
ing water, but you do not seem to think 
of the rice.” 

In answer to this Lumawig took a small 
basket of rice and passed it over five kettles 
and they were full. Then he called, “Yish- 
tjau,” and some deer came running out of the 
forest. These were not what he wanted, 
however, so he called again and some pigs 
came. He told the people that they were 
each to catch one, and for his brother-in-law 
he selected the largest and best. 

They all set out in pursuit of the pigs and 
the others quickly caught theirs, but though 
the brother-in-law chased his until he was 


320 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

very tired and hot he could not catch it. 
Lumawig laughed at him and said: 

“You chase that pig until he is thin and 
still you cannot catch it, though all the others 
have theirs.” 

Thereupon he grasped the hind legs of the 
pig and lifted it. All the people laughed 
and the brother-in-law said: 

“Of course you can catch it, because I 
chased it until it was tired.” 

Lumawig then handed it to him, and said: 
“Here, you carry it.” But no sooner had 
the brother-in-law put it over his shoulder 
than it cut loose and ran away. 

“Why did you let it go?” asked Lumawig. 
“Do you care nothing for it, even after I 
caught it for you? Catch it again and bring 
it here.” 

So the brother-in-law started out again, 
and he chased it up stream and down, but he 
could not catch it. Finally Lumawig reached 
down and picked up the pig and carried it 
to the place where the others were cooking. 

After they had all eaten and drunk and 
made their offerings to the spirits, Lumawig 
said: 


LUMAWIG ON EARTH 321 

“Come, let us go to the mountain to con- 
sult the omen concerning the northern tribes.” 

So they consulted the omen, but it was 
not favorable, and they were starting home 
when the brother-in-law asked Lumawig to 
create some water, as the people were hot 
and thirsty. 

“Why do you not create water, Lumawig?” 
he repeated, as Lumawig paid no attention 
to him. “You care nothing that the people 
are thirsty and in need of drink.” 

Then they quarreled and were very angry 
and Lumawig said to the people, “Let us sit 
down and rest.” 

While they rested, Lumawig struck the 
rock with his spear, and water came out. 
The brother-in-law jumped up to get a 
drink first, but Lumawig held him back, and 
said he must be the last to drink. So they 
all drank, and when they had finished the 
brother-in-law stepped up, but Lumawig 
gave him a push which sent him into the 
rock, and water came from his body. 

“You must stay there,” said Lumawig, 
“because you have troubled me a great deal.” 


322 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

And they went home, leaving him in the 
rock. 

Some time after this Lumawig decided to 
go back to the sky to live, but before he 
went he took care that his wife should have 
a home. He made a coffin of wood and 
placed her in it with a dog at her feet and 
a cock at her head. And as he set it floating 
on the water, he told it not to stop until 
it reached Tinglayen. Then, if the foot 
struck first, the dog should bark; and if the 
head end was the first to strike, the cock 
should crow. So it floated away, on and on, 
until it came to Tinglayen. 

Now a widower was sharpening his axe 
on the bank of the river, and when he saw 
the coffin stop, he went to fish it out of the 
water. On the shore he started to open it, 
but Fukan cried out, “Do not drive a wedge, 
for I am here.” So the widower opened it 
carefully and took Fukan up to the town, 
and then, as he had no wife of his own, he 
married her. 


IN UNION IS STRENGTH 


A Lion was wandering over the desert, seek- 
ing water. It was very hot, and the sun 
had dried so many pools that it was a long 
time before he found a well where he could 
assuage his thirst. But this he did at last, 
although the water in it was not at all fresh. 
However, he was too thirsty to care much 
whether it was stale or not. 

He reached down to drink, and then his 
ears were assailed with the buzzing of mos- 
quitoes, who said to him: 

“Lion, leave us in peace. We did not ask 
you to come here and drink up our home, 
and you are not welcome.” 

This surprised the Lion, who was not used 
to being spoken to in such an impertinent 
manner. He roared and said: “Do you 
know whom you are speaking to? I am the 
Lion, the King of all beasts. What affair 
of yours is it what I do? Leave me at once, 
or I will kill you all.” 

But the Mosquitoes said: “You are one, 

323 


324 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

and we are many. For generations has this 
old well been our home, and it is not for 
you to say that we must go. Take our ad- 
vice and seek another well, or trouble will 
visit you.” 

“You insignificant little creatures, how 
dare you address me in such manner,” roared 
the Lion. “Why, in one minute I can swal- 
low you all and you will make only the 
very smallest part of a mouthful for me. 
Know that when I speak all beasts of the 
forest and the wilderness bow before me, 
and tremble. Now fly away, all of you, for 
I am going to drink.” 

“We know how great is your renown,” 
said the Mosquitoes, “but we do not fear you. 
If you wish to fight us we are very willing 
to have it so, but we will not allow you to 
destroy our home.” 

The Lion was now enraged more than he 
had ever been before. Such language to 
him, the King, meant that destruction must 
be meted out to those who dared to use it. 
He roared again, and made ready to kill 
the foolish Mosquitoes. 

But he found that he had undertaken no 


IN UNION IS STRENGTH 325 

easy task. The Mosquitoes flew into his ears, 
his eyes, his nose and his mouth. They 
stung him all over his body, and soon he 
knew that he was conquered. He shook him- 
self; he rolled over and over on the ground, 
but he could not drive them away. 

Then he jumped high into the air, and 
when he came down his head and fore feet 
went into the well, and he was unable to re- 
lease himself. 

And so he died, thus teaching a lesson to 
those who are so proud of their own might 
that they all think all others must bow down 
to them. The water in the well was the 
home of the Mosquitoes, and he had no 
right to deprive them of it. Had he made 
a request for water with gentle words, it 
would without doubt have been given to 
him, but in the foolishness of his pride and 
anger he demanded that which was not his. 
Gentleness, and consideration for others will 
bring their reward. 


THE STORY OF BANTUGAN 


Before the Spaniards occupied the island of 
Mindanao, there lived in the valley of the 
Rio Grande a very strong man, Bantugan, 
whose father was the brother of the earth- 
quake and thunder. 

Now the Sultan of the Island had a beau- 
tiful daughter whom Bantugan wished to 
marry, but the home of the Sultan was far 
off, and whoever went to carry Bantugan’s 
proposal would have a long and hazardous 
journey. All the head men consulted to- 
gether regarding who should be sent, and 
at last it was decided that Bantugan’s own 
son, Balatama, was the one to go. Balatama 
was young but he was strong and brave, and 
when the arms of his father were given him 
to wear on the long journey his heart swelled 
with pride. More than once on the way, 
however, his courage was tried, and only the 
thought of his brave father gave him strength 
to proceed. 

Once he came to a wooden fence which 
surrounded a stone in the form of a man, 

326 


THE STORY OF BANTUGAN 327 

and as it was directly in his path he drew 
his fighting knife to cut down the fence. Im- 
mediately the air became as black as night 
and stones rained down as large as houses. 
This made Balatama cry, but he protected 
himself with his father’s shield and prayed, 
calling on the winds from the homeland until 
they came and cleared the air again. 

Thereupon Balatama encountered a great 
snake in the road, and it inquired his errand. 
When told, the snake said: 

“You cannot go on, for I am guard of this 
road and no one can pass.” 

The animal made a move to seize him, 
but with one stroke of his fighting knife 
the boy cut the snake into two pieces, one 
of which he threw into the sea and the other 
into the mountains. 

After many days the weary lad came to 
a high rock in the road, which glistened in 
the sunlight. From the top he could look 
down into the city for which he was bound. 
It was a splendid place with ten harbors. 
Standing out from the other palaces was one 
of crystal and another of pure gold. En- 
couraged by this sight he went on, but though 


328 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

it seemed only a short distance, it was some 
time before he at last stood at the gate of 
the town. 

It was not long after this, however, be- 
fore Balatama had made known his errand 
to the Sultan, and that monarch, turning to 
his courtiers, said: 

“You, my friends, decide whether or not 
I shall give the hand of my daughter to 
Bantugan in marriage.” 

The courtiers slowly shook their heads and 
began to offer objections. 

Said one, “I do not see how Bantugan 
can marry the Sultan’s daughter because the 
first gift must be a figure of a man or woman 
in pure gold.” 

“Well,” said the son of Bantugan, “I am 
here to learn what you want and to say 
whether or not it can be given.” 

Then a second man spoke: “You must 
give a great yard with a floor of gold, which 
must be three feet thick.” 

“All this can be given,” answered the boy. 

And the sister of the Princess said: “The 
gifts must be as many as the blades of grass 
in our city.” 


THE STORY OF BANTUGAN 329 

“It shall be granted,” said Balatama. 

“You must give a bridge built of stone 
to cross the great river,” said one. 

And another: “A ship of stone you must 
give, and you must change into gold all the 
cocoanuts and leaves in the Sultan’s grove.” 

“All this can be done,” said Balatama. 
“My uncles will give all save the statue of 
gold, and that I shall give myself. But first 
I must go to my father’s town to secure it.” 

At this they were angry and declared that 
he had made sport of them and unless he 
produced the statue at once they would kill 
him. 

“If I give you the statue now,” said he, 
“there will come dreadful storms, rain, and 
darkness.” 

But they only laughed at him and insisted 
on having the statue, so he reached into 
his helmet and drew it forth. 

Immediately the earth began to quake. A 
great storm arose, and stones as large as 
houses rained until the Sultan called to 
Balatama to put back the statue lest they 
all be killed. 

“You would not believe what I told you,” 


330 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

said the boy; “and now I am going to let 
the storm continue.” 

But the Sultan begged him and promised 
that Bantugan might marry his daughter 
with no other gifts at all save the statue 
of gold. Balatama put back the statue into 
his helmet, and the air became calm again 
to the great relief of the Sultan and his cour- 
tiers. Then Balatama prepared to return 
home, promising that Bantugan would come 
in three months for the wedding. 

All went well with the boy on the way 
home until he came to the fence surrounding 
the stone in the form of a man, and there 
he was detained and compelled to remain 
four months. 

Now about this time a Spanish general 
heard that Bantugan was preparing to marry 
the Sultan’s daughter, whom he determined 
to wed himself. A great expedition was pre- 
pared, and he with all his brothers embarked 
on his large warship which was followed 
by ten thousand other ships. They went to 
the Sultan’s city, and their number was so 
great that they filled the harbor, frightening 
the people greatly. 


THE STORY OF BANTUGAN 331 

Then the General’s brother disembarked 
and came to the house of the Sultan. He 
demanded the Princess for the General, say- 
ing that if the request were refused the fleet 
would destroy the city and all its people. 
The Sultan and his courtiers were so fright- 
ened that they decided to give his daughter 
to the General, the next full moon being the 
date set for the wedding. 

In the meantime Bantugan had been pre- 
paring everything for the marriage which 
he expected to take place at the appointed 
time. But as the days went by and Bala- 
tama did not return they became alarmed, 
fearing that he was dead. After three 
months had passed Bantugan prepared a 
great expedition to go in search of his son, 
and the great warship was decorated with 
flags of gold. 

As they came in sight of the Sultan’s city, 
they saw the Spanish fleet in the harbor, and 
one of his brothers advised Bantugan not to 
enter until the Spaniards left. They then 
brought their ship to anchor. But all were 
disappointed that they could go no farther, 
and one said, “Why do we not go on? Even 


332 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

if the blades of grass turn into Spaniards 
we need not fear.” Another said: “Why 
do we fear? Even if the cannon-balls come 
like rain, we can always fight” Finally 
some wanted to return to their homes and 
Bantugan said: “No, let us seek my son. 
Even though we must enter the harbor where 
the Spaniards are, let us continue our 
search.” So at his command the anchors were 
lifted, and they sailed into the harbor where 
the Spanish fleet lay. 

Now at this very time the Spanish general 
and his brother were with the Sultan, in- 
tending to call upon the Princess. As the 
brother talked with one of the sisters of the 
Princess they moved toward the window, 
and looking down they saw Bantugan’s ships 
entering the harbor. They could not tell 
whose flags the ships bore. Neither could 
the Sultan when he was called. Then he 
sent his brother to bring his father, who 
was a very old man, to see if he could tell. 
The father was kept in a little dark room 
by himself that he might not get hurt, and 
the Sultan said to his brother: 

“If he is so bent with age that he cannot 


THE STORY OF BANTUGAN 333 

see, talk, or walk, tickle him in the ribs and 
that will make him young again; and, my 
Brother, carry him here yourself lest one 
of the slaves should let him fall and he 
should hurt himself.” 

So the old man was brought, and when he 
looked out upon the ships he saw that the 
flags were those of the father of Bantugan 
who had been a great friend of his in his 
youth. And he told them that he and Ban- 
tugan’s father years ago had made a contract 
that their children and children’s children 
should inter-marry, and now since the Sultan 
had promised his daughter to two people, 
he foresaw that great trouble would come 
to the land. Then the Sultan said to the 
General : 

“Here are two claimants to my daughter’s 
hand. Go aboard your ships and you and 
Bantugan make war on each other, and the 
victor shall have my daughter.” 

So the Spaniards opened fire upon Ban- 
tugan, and for three days the earth was so 
covered with smoke from the battle that 
neither could see his enemy. Then the Span- 
ish general said: 


334 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

“I cannot see Bantugan or the fleet any- 
where, so let us go and claim the Princess.” 

But the Sultan said: “We must wait until 
the smoke rises to make sure that Bantugan 
is gone.” 

When the smoke rose, the ships of Ban- 
tugan were apparently unharmed and the 
Sultan said: 

“Bantugan has surely won, for his fleet is 
uninjured while yours is badly damaged. 
You have lost.” 

“No,” said the General, “we will fight 
it out on dry land.” 

So they both landed their troops and their 
cannon, and a great fight took place, and 
soon the ground was covered with dead 
bodies. And the Sultan commanded them 
to stop, as the women and children in the 
city were being killed by the cannon-balls, 
but the General said: 

“If you give your daughter to Bantugan we 
shall fight forever, or until we die.” 

Then the Sultan sent for Bantugan and 
said: 

“We must deceive the Spaniard in order 
to get him to go away. Let us tell him that 


THE STORY OF BANTUGAN 335 

neither of you will marry my daughter, and 
then after he has gone, we shall have the 
wedding.” 

Bantugan agreed to this, and word was 
sent to the Spaniard that the fighting must 
cease since many women and children were 
being killed. So it was agreed between the 
Spaniard and Bantugan that neither of them 
should marry the Princess. Then they both 
sailed away to their homes. 

Bantugan soon returned, however, and 
married the Princess, and on the way back 
to his home they found his son and took 
him with them. For about a week the 
Spanish general sailed toward his home and 
then he, too, turned about to go back, plan- 
ning to take the Princess by force. When he 
found that she had already been carried 
away by Bantugan, his wrath knew no 
bounds. He destroyed the Sultan, his city, 
and all its people. And then he sailed away 
to prepare a great expedition with which he 
should utterly destroy Bantugan and his 
country as well. 

One morning Bantugan looked out and 
saw at the mouth of the Rio Grande the 


336 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

enormous fleet of the Spaniards whose num- 
bers were so great that in no direction could 
the horizon be seen. His heart sank within 
him, for he knew well that he and his 
country were doomed. 

Though he could not hope to win in a 
fight against such great numbers, he called 
his head men together, and said: 

“My Brothers, the Spanish dogs have come 
to destroy the land. We cannot successfully 
oppose them, but in the defense of the father- 
land we can die.” 

So the great warship was again prepared, 
and all the soldiers of Islam embarked, and 
then with Bantugan standing at the bow 
they sailed forth to meet their fate. 

The fighting was fast and furious, but 
soon the great warship of Bantugan filled 
with water until at last it sank, drawing with 
it hundreds of the Spanish ships. And then 
a strange thing happened. At the very spot 
where Bantugan’s warship sank, there arose 
from the sea a great island which you can 
see to-day not far from the mouth of the 
Rio Grande. It is covered with bongo- 
palms, and deep within its mountains live 


THE STORY OF BANTUGAN 337 

Bantugan and his warriors. A Moro sail- 
boat passing this island is always scanned by 
Bantugan’s watchers, and if it contains 
women such as he admires, they are snatched 
from their seats and carried deep into the 
heart of the mountain. For this reason Moro 
women fear even to sail near the island of 
Bongos. 

When the wife of Bantugan saw that her 
husband was no more and that his warship 
had been destroyed, she gathered together 
the remaining warriors and set forth herself 
to avenge him. In a few hours her ship 
also was sunk, and in the place where it sank 
there arose the mountain of Timaco. 

On this thickly wooded island are found 
white monkeys, the servants of the Princess, 
who still lives in the center of the mountain. 
On a quiet day high up on the mountain 
side one can hear the chanting and singing 
of the waiting-girls of the wife of Bantugan. 


THE PESTLE AND MORTAR OF 
JADE 


ONCE upon a time, so very long ago that 
even the great-grandfathers of our great- 
grandmothers had not been born, there lived 
in the city of Kwen-lu a little Chinese boy 
named Pei-Hang. 

His father and mother loved him dearly, 
and did all they could to shield him from 
the power of the evil Genii, or spirits, of 
whom there were a great many in China. 
Of course, there were some good Genii too, 
but most of them were very much the op- 
posite, and Pei-Hang’s mother took every 
precaution against them. 

It is well-known that a wicked Genii will 
not come near a Chinese boy if he has some 
red silk braided in with his pigtail, or if 
he wears a silver chain around his neck, 
and all of them dread an old fishing-net. 
So Pei-Hang’s mother made him a little 
shirt out of an old fishing-net, and she took 

338 


PESTLE AND MORTAR 339 

care that his pigtail should be plaited with 
the brightest of red silk. 

Also she was particular in having his head 
shaved in just the right way, with a tuft 
sticking straight up in the luckiest place. 

And so Pei-Hang got safely over the 
troubles of his babyhood, and grew from a 
baby into a big boy, and then to a tall, hand- 
some youth. Then he left off wearing his 
fish-net shirt, but still wore the silver chain 
round his neck and had red silk in his 
pigtail. 

“It is time that Pei-Hang saw a little more 
of the world,” said his father. “He must 
go to Chang-ngan and study under the wise 
men there.” 

Chang-ngan was the ancient capital of 
China, a very large city indeed, and Pin-Too, 
the teacher to whom Pei-Hang was sent, 
was the wisest man there. 

Pei-Hang soon learned what the world 
was thinking about, and many other things 
also. As soon as he was eighteen he took 
the red silk out of his pigtail and the silver 
chain from his neck, because grown-up peo- 
ple were supposed to be able to protect them- 


340 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

selves against the Genii without the aid of 
charms. 

When he was twenty, Pin-Too said he 
could not teach him any more, and told 
him to go back to his parents, and comfort 
them in their old age. 

Pei-Hang was his favorite pupil, and Pin- 
Too looked very sorry when he said this. 

“I will start to-morrow, Master, and will 
leave the city by the Golden Bridge,” re- 
plied Pei-Hang obediently. 

“No, you must go by the Indigo Bridge,” 
said Pin-Too, “for there you will meet your 
future wife.” 

“I was not thinking of a wife,” observed 
Pei-Hang, with some dismay. 

Pin-Too just wrinkled up his eyes and 
laughed. 

“So much the better 1 ” said he. “When 
you have once seen her, you will be able to 
think of nothing else.” 

It was very hot, and Pei-Hang intended 
to start in the cool of the early morning, but 
he sat so long over his books the night before 
his journey that he wakened late, and when 
he opened his eyes the sun was blazing down 


PESTLE AND MORTAR 341 

upon the streets, making the town like a 
furnace. 

However, he had promised to start that 
day, so he took up his stick and set off. 

“I will rest at the Indigo Bridge,” said 
he to himself, “and walk on again in the 
cool of the evening.” 

But he had spent many sleepless nights 
in study, and when he reached the bridge he 
was so tired that he sat down and fell 
asleep. 

Then, in a dream which came to him, he 
saw a tall and beautiful maiden, who showed 
him her right foot, around which was bound 
a red cord. 

“What does this mean?” asked Pei-Hang, 
who could hardly take his eyes away from 
her face to look at her foot. 

“What does the red cord around your own 
foot mean?” replied the girl. 

Then Pei-Hang looked at his right foot, 
and saw that it was tied to the girl’s by the 
same thin red cord. So he knew that he had 
met his future wife. 

“My mother used to say that when a boy 
is born, the Moon Fairy ties an invisible red 


342 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

cord around his right foot, and the other end 
of the cord encircles the foot of the girl- 
baby whom he is to marry,” said he. 

“Quite true,” said the maiden, “and to 
people who are awake this cord is invisible. 
Now I will tell you my name, that you may 
remember it. It is Yun-Ying.” 

“And I will tell you mine ” began Pei- 
Hang, but Yun-Ying stopped him, smiling. 

“Ah, I know yours, and all about you,” 
she said. 

Pei-Hang was greatly surprised, but he 
need not have been, for everyone in Chang- 
ngan knew that he was Pin-Too’s wisest, 
handsomest, and best-loved pupil. And 
Yun-Ying lived close to the city, and had 
often seen him walking through the streets 
carrying his books. 

When Pei-Hang awoke, he looked for the 
red cord around his foot, but he saw neither 
this nor the fair maiden. 

“I wonder if she is real, or only a dream- 
maiden, after all,” he said to himself. 

But Yun-Ying was quite real; only her 
mother, who knew something of magic, had 


PESTLE AND MORTAR 343 

given her the power of stepping in and out 
of people’s dreams. 

Pei-Hang got up and went on his way, 
thinking of Yun-Ying all the time. 

It was still very hot, and he grew so thirsty 
that he went to a little hut by the roadside, 
and asked an old woman who was sitting in 
the doorway to give him a drink. 

She called to her daughter to fill their best 
goblet with fresh spring water, and bring it 
out to the stranger. Then appeared none 
other than Yun-Ying herself. 

“Oh!” cried Pei-Hang, “I thought that I 
might never see you again, and I have found 
you already.” 

“And who am I?” asked the girl, smiling. 

“Yun-Ying,” replied Pei-Hang; and the 
name seemed so musical to him that he said 
it over and over again. 

Yun-Ying was dressed in white under- 
neath, but her overdress was bright blue, 
embroidered with beautiful flowers which 
she had worked herself; and she stood in 
the door of the hut, with a peach tree in 
full bloom over her head, making such a 
picture of youth and loveliness that Pei- 


344 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

Hang’s heart seemed to jump into his throat, 
and beat there fast enough to choke him. 

“Who are you? And how do you come 
to know Yun-Ying?” asked the old woman, 
peering and blinking at him, with her hand 
over her eyes to shield them from the sun. 

Then Pei-Hang told her about the dream, 
and the red cord, and when he said that he 
wanted to marry her daughter, the old 
woman did not look at all pleased. “If I 
had two daughters, you would be welcome to 
one of them,” she said. 

Pei-Hang was not a bad match, for his 
parents were well-off, and he was their only 
child; but Yun-Ying was a very pretty girl 
and a mandarin of Chang-ngan was anxious 
to marry her. 

“He is four times her age, it is true,” said 
her mother, explaining this to Pei-Hang, 
“but he is very rich.” 

“He is old and wrinkled, like a little 
brown monkey,” said Yun-Ying, “and I don’t 
want to marry him. Besides, the Moon 
Fairy didn’t tie my foot to his.” 

“No, that’s true,” sighed her mother. 

She would have liked to send Pei-Hang 


PESTLE AND MORTAR 345 

away, but she knew it would not be safe to 
do that if the red cord had really been tied 
to his foot aivd Yun-Ying’s, so she asked him 
to come inside, and they would talk it over. 

“Now,” said she, “on this stool I pound 
magic drugs given to me by the Genii, but 
my pestle and mortar is broken, and I want 
a new one.” 

“That I can easily buy in Chang-ngan,” 
replied Pei-Hang. 

“No, you cannot,” said the old woman, 
“because it is a pestle and mortar of jade, 
and you can only get another one from the 
home of the Genii, which is on a mountain 
above the Lake of Gems. If you will do 
that, and bring it back to me, you shall marry 
Yun-Ying.” 

“I will do that, but I must see my parents 
first,” said Pei-Yang. 

He had no idea where the home of the 
Genii was, but Yun-Ying took him out into 
the garden, and showed him, in the far dis- 
tance, a range of snow-capped mountains, 
with one peak towering above all the others. 

“That is Mount Sumi,” she said, “and it 
is there the Genii live, sitting on the snow 


346 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

peaks, and looking down at the Lake of 
Gems.” 

“In order to reach it you must cross the 
Blue River, the White River, the Red River, 
and the Black River, all of which are full 
of monstrous fishes. That is why my mother 
is sending you,” sighed Yun-Ying. “She 
thinks you will not return alive.” 

“I am a good swimmer, and not afraid 
of fish,” said Pei-Hang. 

“But you must not try to swim,” said 
Yun-Ying earnestly, “for you would be in- 
stantly devoured. Take this box with you. 
In it you will find six red seeds, one of 
which you must throw into each river as 
you come to it. The river will then shrink 
to the size of a small brook, over which you 
can jump.” 

Pei-Hang opened the box, and saw inside 
six round, red seeds, each of them the size 
of a pea, and these he promised to use as 
she had directed. Then he kissed her, and 
set out on his journey. 

On his way to Mount Sumi he passed 
through the town in which his parents lived, 
and when he saw them, he told them every- 


PESTLE AND MORTAR 347 

thing that had happened to him since he left 
Chang-ngan. 

His mother, who was a very wise woman, 
as most mothers are, told him the Genii 
would be angry if he turned their great rivers 
into brooks, and would probably refuse to 
give him the pestle and mortar made of jade. 
But she gave him a box containing six white 
seeds, one of which he was to cast into each 
brook as he passed it on his return journey, 
and it would then expand into a river again. 

The next morning Pei-Hang kissed his 
parents, and continued on his way to Mount 
Sumi. On the seventh day he came to the 
Blue River, which was a quarter of a mile 
wide, and as blue as the sky of summer, and 
fishes were popping their heads out of the 
water in every direction. The head of every 
fish was twice as large as a football, and had 
two rows of teeth. But he threw a red seed 
into the river, and in a moment it had be- 
come a little brook, across which he could 
hop on one foot, and the huge fishes were 
changed into tadpoles. 

Very soon he reached the White River, 
which was half a mile wide, and so rapid 


34B THE JADE STORY BOOK 

that it was covered with foam, and full of 
immense sea-serpents. 

This river was so wide that Pei-Hang was 
really surprised when, on throwing another 
of the red seeds into it, there lay before him 
a tiny brook, in the bottom of which some 
eels were wriggling. 

Stepping across this, Pei-Hang walked on 
for some time until he came in sight of the 
Red River, which was three-quarters of a 
mile wide, and bright scarlet. Stretched 
right across it, like a bridge, was a row of 
huge alligators, each of which had its mouth 
wide open. 

Into the river Pei-Hang threw one of the 
little red seeds, and one of the nearest alli- 
gators made a snap at it, but missed it. The 
seed sank into the water, and there before 
him was a small stream less than two feet 
across, and at the bottom of it a row of 
tiny lizards. 

Pei-Hang crossed the stream, and was met 
by one of the Genii, who had come down 
from the snow-peak to see who had been 
playing tricks with the three mighty rivers. 

Then Pei-Hang showed him the white 


PESTLE AND MORTAR 349 

seeds in the other box, and said: “With these 
I can make them as large as they were be- 
fore, on my way back, so it is all right. But 
first I must find the home of the Genii, and 
get a pestle and mortar of jade for my future 
mother-in-law to pound magic drugs in.” 

“First you must cross the Black River,” 
replied the Geni, with a rather scornful 
laugh. “It is a mile wide, and the fish in it 
are six yards long, and covered with spikes 
like porcupines.” 

“How did you get across?” inquired Pei- 
Hang. 

“I? O, I can fly,” said the Geni. 

“And I can jump,” retorted Pei-Hang, 
sturdily. 

The Geni walked with him as far as the 
Black River, and when our hero saw the 
great waste of water as black as ink, stretch- 
ing away in front of him, it must be con- 
fessed his heart sank a little. 

But he took out his fourth seed, and 
watched it disappear beneath a coal-black 
wave. 

To the Geni’s astonishment the river im- 
mediately dried up, and a shallow stream 


350 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

running through the grass lay at their feet. 

The Geni was much impressed by the 
wonderful things Pei-Hang seemed able to 
do. He was not bad-hearted, so he showed 
him the nearest way to the home of the 
Genii on the top of Mount Sumi. 

It was a long and wearisome climb, but 
at last they got up there, and found eight 
of the Genii sitting on eight snow-peaks, and 
looking down on the Lake of Gems, as Yun- 
Ying had said. 

The Lake of Gems lay on the other side 
of Mount Sumi, and was a beautiful sheet 
of water, flashing all the colors of the rain- 
bow. 

Pei-Hang could not take his eyes away 
from it. He forgot all about the pestle and 
mortar as he watched the waves rippling 
along the shore, and leaving behind them 
diamonds, rubies, sapphires and pearls in 
thousands. 

Each pebble on the margin of the lake was 
a precious stone, and Pei-Hang wanted to 
go down and fill his pockets with them. 

“We must let him have the pestle and 
mortar,” said the Geni who had been his 


PESTLE AND MORTAR 351 

guide, and who had told the others about 
the wonderful red and white seeds while 
Pei-Hang was standing spell-bound by the 
beauty of the Lake. “If we don’t he won’t 
give us back our rivers.” 

The eight Genii nodded their eight heads, 
and spoke all at once, and the noise they 
made was like the rumble of thunder among 
the mountains. “Let him take it, if he can 
carry it,” they said. 

And they laughed until the snow-peaks 
shook beneath them; for the mortar made 
of jade was six feet high and four feet wide, 
and the pestle was so heavy no mortal could 
lift it. 

Pei-Hang, when he had finished staring 
at the Lake of Gems, walked round it, and 
wondered how he was to carry it down the 
mountain and across the plains to Chang- 
ngan. 

Then he sat down on the ground to think 
the matter over, and the Genii, even his own 
good-natured Geni, laughed at him again. 

“Come!” they said. “If you like to fill 
the mortar with precious stones, you may 
do so. Any man who can carry it empty 
can carry it full.” 


352 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

“Because no one can carry it at all,” con- 
cluded the good-natured Geni softly to him- 
self. 

Pei-Hang folded his arms and sat still, 
and thought, and thought, and took no notice 
of their gibes and jeers. He had not studied 
for three years under the wisest man in 
Chang-ngan for nothing, and, besides, he was 
determined to marry Yun-Ying, and when 
young men are very much in love, they some- 
times accomplish things which seem to be 
impossible. 

At last he jumped up and asked the 
friendly Geni if he would make a little 
heap of stones at one side of the mortar. 

“I want to be able to look inside it, and 
I am not tall enough,” said he. 

“And why don’t you do it yourself?” asked 
the Geni. 

“Because I must go down to the Lake of 
Gems and collect precious stones,” replied 
Pei-Hang. 

Then he ran down to the shore of the lake 
and gathered diamonds, rubies, emeralds, 
pearls, and sapphires, as many as he could 
carry. 


PESTLE AND MORTAR 353 

This he did again and again, emptying 
them into the mortar each time, until it was 
quite full and held gems enough to make 
Pei-Hang the richest man in China. 

And this was just what he wanted to be, 
for the yellow-faced mandarin was only the 
richest man in Chang-ngan, and he knew 
that the richest man in China would have 
much the greater chance of winning Yun- 
Ying. 

“Well, what next?” cried the eight Genii, 
when he had finished. “Will you take it on 
your shoulder or on your head?” 

“I will just carry it under my arm,” re- 
plied Pei-Hang. 

He took out his little box, threw one of 
the red seeds on top of the gems, and in a 
moment the tremendous pestle and mortar 
shrank into one of ordinary size. 

Pei-Hang put the pestle in his pocket, and 
took up the mortar carefully, because he 
did not wish to lose any of the precious 
stones. Then he bowed low to the Genii, 
thanked them, and said good-by. 

This time they did not laugh, but each 
of them roared with rage. They dared 


354 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

not stop him, knowing that he had the power 
to turn the four brooks into rivers again. 

Pei-Hang hastened away, and on his 
journey did exactly as he had promised. 

After crossing the first brook, he threw 
a white seed into it, and turned it into an 
inky black waste of water a mile wide, full 
of fishes six yards long, and every fish cov- 
ered with spikes. 

When the Genii saw this they stopped 
roaring, so glad were they to see the Black 
River guarding them once more from the 
outer world. 

On reaching the Red River, the White 
River, and the Blue River, Pei-Hang did 
the same thing, and since that time no one 
has been able to find the home of the Genii, 
because no one else could cross the Blue 
River, much less the other three. 

Having traveled for seven days Pei-Hang 
came to his fathers and mother’s house. 
He told them all that he had experienced, 
and for each white seed his mother had 
given him he gave her a jewel as large as 
an egg. Then he went on to Chang-ngan, 
where he found that Yun-Ying’s mother had 


PESTLE AND MORTAR 355 

spread a report that he was dead, and had 
invited all her friends to attend a wedding 
feast in honor of her daughter’s marriage 
with the yellow-faced old mandarin. 

The wedding had not taken place when 
Pei-Hang arrived, but Yun-Ying was al- 
ready arrayed in her wedding dress, and was 
standing beneath a peach tree which stood 
in front of the house. As soon as she saw 
him she threw herself into his arms, and 
shed tears of joy at his safe return. 

He put down the pestle and mortar and 
kissed Yun-Ying’s tears away. Then her 
mother came, and said: 

“You are too late to marry my daughter, but 
I’ll buy the pestle and mortar from you with 
some of the money the mandarin gave me.” 

“Oh, no, you will not,” replied Pei-Hang. 
He then dropped one of his white seeds into 
the mortar, and it at once became so large 
that it covered the whole grass plot under the 
peach tree, and it was filled to the brim with 
glittering precious stones. He then climbed 
into a branch overhanging it, and from there 
he threw down to the wedding guests hand- 
fuls of jewels, and the yellow-faced man- 


356 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

darin was as busy as any one picking them 
up, much to the disgust of many who 
thought he was rich enough already. 

Pei-Hang offered him three diamonds, 
each as large as a sparrow’s egg, if he would 
go away and forget that he ever knew Yun- 
Ying. These the mandarin took and away 
he went. He was sure that Yun-Ying’s 
mother would have no more to do with him 
now that she could marry her daughter to 
one who scattered jewels as Pei-Hang did. 

The wedding feast took place, only the 
bridegrooms were changed. Pei-Hang mar- 
ried Yun-Ying, and took her to where his 
father and mother lived, and they were as 
happy as could be. 

The pestle and mortar of jade stood be- 
neath the peach tree, for it was too large 
and too heavy to be moved, and it was cer- 
tainly of no use to Yun-Ying’s mother, be- 
cause it was too big for her to pound her 
magic drugs in, even if she could get in- 
side it, which she couldn’t. This made her 
very angry, but it served her right because 
of the unfair manner in which she had 
treated Pei-Hang. 


THE MYSTERIOUS GARDEN. 


ONCE upon a time there lived a mighty 
king who was both wise and just. This 
ruler issued a decree that no one in his 
dominions should receive any reward, of- 
fice or honor that he did not truly deserve. 

Now at the court were three royal chil- 
dren, each of them richly endowed with vir- 
tue and talent, and they grew up to be 
handsome and amiable young men, well- 
liked by every one. The king was very fond 
of them and wished them to occupy the 
highest stations in life which would accord 
with their merit. So one day he sent for 
them and said, “My children, I would like 
to set you above all others in my palace, 
for I believe you capable of great deeds 
of virtue. But you know the law of this 
country which says that honors may be con- 
ferred upon no one who has not proved wor- 
thy to receive them. It is my desire that 
you attain high rank, but this you cannot 

357 


358 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

reach by remaining at court. You will 
therefore go out into the world and try to 
earn, by your own endeavor, the prize prom- 
ised by the law, and which I shall delight 
to bestow upon you. In due time I will 
send for you, and the summons must be 
answered without delay. Be careful what 
you do, for your reward will be that which 
you merit.” 

The king had ordered, and the three 
young men had to obey, although they did 
not relish leaving the court, where life was 
very pleasant for them. So they bade their 
sovereign good-bye, embarked on a ship and 
set sail, without any definite plan as to what 
country they should visit. 

The weather was fine and they sailed on 
until they reached an island which looked 
very beautiful to them. They landed, and 
after walking for some time reached a fair 
garden full of wonderful trees, flowers and 
fruit. There they were met by three men, 
each of whom gave them a word of advice. 

The first said that their stay in the gar- 
den would not be forever; that the time 


THE MYSTERIOUS GARDEN 359 

would come when they would be forced to 
leave. 

The second told them that they were wel- 
come to enjoy all that the garden could of- 
fer, but that they must leave it just as they 
entered it, and take nothing away with them. 

The third advised them to be virtuous, up- 
right, and moderate in their pleasures, as 
such a course would go far towards living 
a long and happy life. 

The young men listened to this wise 
counsel and then entered the garden, which 
was much more wonderful than they had 
imagined it to be. There were great trees, 
from the branches of which came the ex- 
quisite singing of innumerable birds; their 
eyes were gladdened by the beauty of the 
flowers, which gave forth a most pleasing 
perfume, and they found an abundance of 
delicious fruit, with which the trees were 
laden. Here was a paradise. 

For some time they rested under the shade 
of the trees, regaling themselves with the 
freshly-picked fruit and drinking from 
springs that bubbled and sparkled from the 
ground like fountains. Then they sepa- 


360 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

rated, each seeking a still more enchanting 
spot. 

The first of the young men was so over- 
come by the beauty that surrounded him 
that he thought only of present enjoyment, 
forgetting entirely the advice of the man 
who had first addressed them before enter- 
ing the garden. His only idea was to eat, 
sleep, be merry and cast away all care. 

In his wanderings the second youth dis- 
covered gold, silver and precious stones in 
such abundance that neither the beauty of 
the flowers, with their fragrance, nor the 
lusciousness of the fruit appealed to him 
at all. He was dazzled by the treasures 
he found, and his only thought was of how 
much he could gather together and take away 
with him. He, too, forgot the warning of 
the second man who had spoken to them. 

But the third young man bore in mind 
all the advice given them by the three 
guards, and he did not agree with the hab- 
its into which his companions had fallen. 
He certainly enjoyed his life in the garden, 
and took great pleasure in studying all that 
it contained. And the more he studied the 


THE MYSTERIOUS GARDEN 361 

greater was his wonder at the marvels of 
nature. Everything was in such good order 
and so well kept; there was not even a blade 
of grass that did not show evidence of hav- 
ing been watered. And the strangest thing 
about it was that he had seen no one to 
care for all of this. But the garden was so 
perfect and so admirably kept that it was 
impossible there should be no master gar- 
dener to keep this domain in such wonder- 
ful order. 

So great became his admiration for this 
man, whoever he might be, that it became 
his greatest desire to know him, and to 
thank him for all the pleasure he had re- 
ceived from just being there, and for the 
opportunity allowed him to study the mar- 
vels that were all about him. 

But there is an end to all things, and the 
course which each of these young men was 
pursuing was changed when an order from 
their king called upon them to return and 
render an account of their doings. So they 
set out for the gate by which they had en- 
tered, and as soon as they had passed through 
this the first of the three — he who had 


362 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

thought only of present enjoyment — was 
overcome by the change of air. He had 
left the garden, to the fruit of which he 
had become so accustomed; his strength left 
him, and he sank to the ground and expired. 

The second one struggled along, stagger- 
ing beneath the weight of treasure he had 
gathered, the thought of enjoying which 
helped him to forget his weariness. But as 
soon as he had passed the gate the men on 
guard took from him all of the spoil, leav- 
ing him wretched, despairing and unhappy. 

The third youth, however, reached the 
gate and passed through it in a happy frame 
of mind. He was sure that now he would 
find the master gardener, and be able to 
express his gratitude to him for the marvels 
he had seen and studied. He was wel- 
comed by the guards, who were pleased to 
congratulate him upon the way in which 
he had listened to and heeded their good 
advice and counsel. 

The youth, whose treasure had been taken 
from him, drew near to the court. He was 
so weary that he could scarcely drag him- 
self along. He was changed too, so that 


THE MYSTERIOUS GARDEN 363 

those who had formerly known him did not 
recognize him now. When he claimed re- 
lationship to the king they laughed and 
jeered at him. He insisted upon entering 
the palace, but instead of being allowed to 
do this he was thrown into prison. 

But how different was the reception of 
the third young man! Many of the cour- 
tiers went out to greet him, and accom- 
panied him to the king’s presence. His 
Majesty rejoiced at his return, and although 
he knew all that had happened since he left 
the court, he asked him to tell his own 
story. 

The youth told the king all about the 
wonderful garden, and said that it was his 
great desire to meet the master of so en- 
chanting a place, and to express to him his 
thanks for the great pleasure that had been 
his while living in such a paradise. 

“Your wish shall be granted,” said the 
king. “I am the master of the garden, and 
rule it from here through my ministers. 
There is no living or growing thing there 
that is not carefully watched, not even a 
blade of grass.” 


364 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

And now the young man understood that 
which had before been a mystery to him, 
and the love and gratitude he had always 
felt for his master grew greater. The king 
commended him for his good conduct and 
for the manner in which he had acted upon 
the advice given by the three guards, and as 
a reward raised him to a position of power 
and honor. 


RASALU, THE FAKIR, AND THE 
GIANTS 


There was once a fakir who had gained 
such a wide reputation for working won- 
ders that Raja Rasalu, King of Sialkot, de- 
termined to pay him a visit. So one day, 
accompanied by his retinue, he set out for 
the village of Tillah, where the holy man 
dwelt. 

The fakir’s power was so great that he 
knew of the King’s approach long before 
he reached the foot of the mountain on one 
side of which the village was situated, and 
he said to his disciples, “Raja Rasalu is on 
his way here with the purpose of putting my 
knowledge to the test. He is the son of a 
Hindoo, and therefore should know better. 
I have heard that his own power is very 
great, so I will first put him to the test.” 

His pupils agreed with him, but said that 
he should first change himself into some 
great animal, so that the King might not 

365 


366 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

know him. The fakir then turned himself 
into a powerful tiger, and when Rasalu and 
his followers reached the house they saw this 
wild beast prowling round. 

The King’s attendants were stricken with 
fear, and said, “How great must be the 
power of this fakir when even tigers are 
under his sway! Let us return while we 
may!” 

But the Raja answered sternly, “A wise 
man will finish the enterprise upon which 
he starts, and only a fool will confess to 
failure.” So he challenged the tiger, and 
said, “You are indeed a mighty full-grown 
tiger, but I am a Rajput, therefore let us 
fight” 

Then the tiger uttered a terrific growl 
which was like the roar of an earthquake, 
and prepared to spring. But Rasalu fitted a 
magic arrow to his bow, and the fakir, 
knowing its power, immediately vanished. 

The King entered the house of the famous 
fakir, whom he found in the midst of his 
pupils, and who at once rose and made a 
respectful bow to one who was more power- 
ful than himself. 


RASALU, THE FAKIR 367 

Rasalu said, “You are a pretty fakir to 
try to outwit me or any one.” 

Then was the fakir irritated and ashamed, 
and he said, “O King, this is only the abode 
of poor holy men, and not Gangar, which 
is the home of the seven famous giants. If 
you would achieve renown, conquer these, 
for none will come to you for lording it 
over fakirs.” 

To this the Raja replied, “O fakir, you 
taunt me. Now, as I am the descendant of 
the great King Bikramajit, I make a vow 
never to return to my home until I have 
defeated the giants of whom you speak. Tell 
me how I may find them.” 

The fakir told him the way, and said, “I 
pray for your success, and this will come to 
you if you will observe the two following 
conditions: First, do not draw sword, and 
next, kill no woman.” 

So Raja Rasalu set out for Gangar. 
Now Gangar was the name also of the 
most mighty giant of all the seven, and the 
mountain which was named after him was 
full of enormous caverns, which were the 
homes of himself and of his comrades. 


368 THE JADE STORY BOOK 

In a few days the King arrived, and be- 
gan to ascend the mountain, but for a long 
time he searched in vain for the giants. At 
last he saw one of them carrying water to- 
wards the base of a rock and he challenged 
him. The giant roared so that the stones 
rattled together and rushed upon Rasalu, 
who at once fitted an arrow to his bow, let 
fly, and slew him. 

The noise made by the giant roused the 
others, who came rushing out from their 
dens. But when they saw that it was King 
Rasalu who had come against them they 
were afraid, for they had heard of his 
might. Then one of them said, “We have 
been told of your power, but to know 
whether or not you are worthy to fight with 
us, let us see you pierce seven plates of iron 
with your arrow.” 

Then they set up seven plates of iron, and 
the King sent his arrow through them all. 
This wonderful feat filled them with dis- 
may, and they at once turned and fled. But 
the King pursued them, bow in hand, and 
with the exception of one only, he slew them 
all with his invincible arrows. 


RASALU, THE FAKIR 369 

Rasalu then saw that the remaining giant 
was a woman, and remembering the sec- 
ond direction of the fakir he put back the 
arrow which he had already fitted to his 
bow. He called out, “Stand, woman, I am 
King Rasalu, and you cannot escape me.” 

But the giantess replied, “You may in- 
deed capture me, O King, but take notice 
that in this very country which you have 
invaded your head shall be smitten from 
your body.” 

She then disappeared within a mighty 
cavern just as Rasalu, urging his horse, 
made a leap over a great chasm in order 
to reach her. 

The Raja dismounted, but by this time 
the giantess was a long way within the 
mountain. Then he engraved his likeness 
on the face of the rock inside the entrance 
of the cave, which he closed by rolling a 
great stone over its mouth. Escape for her 
was impossible, and there she remains to 
this day. At times she endeavors to get out, 
but as soon as she catches sight of King 
Rasalu’s likeness on the rock she rushes 
back, filled with dismay, and her roaring 
fills the villages around with dread. 






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